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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. branch — a division
  5. craft — boats
  6. race — a contest
  7. club — for golf
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. degree — an amount
  11. season — in sport
  12. club — a group
  13. rock — music
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — humankind
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. degree — from a university
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. season — of the year
  20. degree — temperature
  21. rock — a stone
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. club — for dancing

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