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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: key · pitcher · craft · degree · kid · branch · wave · fall

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fall — to drop
  6. key — the most important part
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. kid — child
  9. key — in music
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. degree — an amount
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. degree — temperature
  16. craft — boats
  17. key — for a lock
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. craft — a skill
  22. degree — from a university
  23. kid — to tease
  24. wave — with your hand

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