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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 124 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — a division
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. present — there
  5. craft — boats
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. season — of the year
  9. present — a gift
  10. court — of law
  11. season — in sport
  12. capital — money
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. court — of a king
  16. present — the time now
  17. court — for sport
  18. capital — a city
  19. swing — to play on
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. swing — in golf
  22. craft — a skill
  23. swing — music
  24. toast — bread

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