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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: ball · date · branch · object · jam · cell · race · craft

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. cell — in biology
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. ball — a dance
  5. object — a thing
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. race — the arms race
  8. date — the fruit
  9. branch — a division
  10. craft — boats
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. craft — a skill
  16. object — to protest
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. race — a contest
  19. cell — a phone
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. race — humankind
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. craft — a handicraft

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