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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: spring · leaves · craft · race · net · branch · mug · pound

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mug — to rob
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. craft — boats
  6. pound — a weight
  7. mug — a cup
  8. race — humankind
  9. branch — a division
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. craft — a skill
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. net — after costs
  18. spring — of water
  19. race — a contest
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mug — a face
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. branch — of a bank

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