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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 · spell · fan · safe · fork · branch · chair · pitcher

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. chair — a leader
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. craft — boats
  14. fork — in a road
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. craft — a skill
  20. branch — a division
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. safe — out of danger

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