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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · craft · last · branch · land · ball · march · stick

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. march — the month
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. chip — for betting
  9. branch — a division
  10. last — to go on
  11. land — ground
  12. chip — to eat
  13. land — a country
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. last — final
  16. ball — a great time
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. craft — boats
  20. last — finally
  21. craft — a skill
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. land — to come down

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