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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: firm · branch · craft · chair · hand · capital · pass · stick

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. hand — help
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. firm — decided
  7. pass — a permit
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. capital — a city
  12. hand — in cards
  13. branch — a division
  14. chair — a leader
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. capital — money
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pass — to succeed

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