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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: bear · branch · pitcher · bore · ball · degree · craft · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ball — a great time
  9. degree — from a university
  10. spring — a coil
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. spring — the season
  16. bore — to drill
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. branch — a division
  20. ball — a dance
  21. craft — boats
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. craft — a skill

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