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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: safe · branch · last · drill · scale · craft · bore · pitch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. last — to go on
  3. scale — size or range
  4. drill — a practice
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bore — to tire
  9. last — final
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. branch — a division
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bore — to drill
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. last — finally
  24. bore — gave birth

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