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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 120 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: craft · ball · fine · hand · branch · suit · sharp · track

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. fine — all right
  6. track — a song
  7. suit — in cards
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fine — high quality
  10. track — a path
  11. craft — a skill
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. hand — help
  15. craft — boats
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. suit — clothes
  19. branch — a division
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — in cards
  23. ball — a great time
  24. track — to keep track

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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