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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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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: branch · squash · mine · key · craft · mark

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. craft — a skill
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mark — a trace
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mine — for digging
  8. key — for a lock
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. craft — boats
  13. mark — a grade
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. branch — a division
  17. squash — to crush
  18. branch — of a bank

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