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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: fine · craft · press · chair · fork · branch

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. fine — high quality
  3. craft — boats
  4. press — a publisher
  5. branch — a division
  6. chair — a leader
  7. fine — all right
  8. craft — a skill
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. press — to push
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. press — newspapers
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with

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