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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
468
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: craft · swing · hand · stick · bulb · capital · object · branch

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. craft — boats
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. craft — a skill
  5. capital — a city
  6. bulb — for light
  7. object — a thing
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. swing — music
  11. branch — a division
  12. hand — in cards
  13. swing — to play on
  14. capital — money
  15. swing — in golf
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hand — help
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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