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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · branch · drill · kid · pass · season · craft · scale

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. drill — a practice
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. scale — size or range
  5. kid — to tease
  6. season — in sport
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. scale — in music
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. season — of the year
  16. drill — army training
  17. pass — a permit
  18. drill — the tool
  19. kid — child
  20. craft — boats
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. craft — a skill
  24. branch — a division

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