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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. net — for catching
  3. mine — for digging
  4. net — in sport
  5. craft — boats
  6. bound — obliged
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. net — after costs
  9. pop — soda
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pop — to visit
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. firm — steady
  14. branch — a division
  15. firm — a company
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. firm — decided
  18. bound — certain
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pit — in a race
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pop — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com