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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: wind · craft · branch · suit · pitcher · rash · land · present

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. present — there
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. craft — boats
  5. land — a country
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wind — moving air
  12. present — a gift
  13. wind — moving air
  14. suit — clothes
  15. craft — a skill
  16. land — to come down
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. present — the time now
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. suit — in cards
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. branch — a division
  23. rash — a series
  24. land — ground

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