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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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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: snap · craft · pitch · cabinet · mine · branch · bank · root

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mine — for digging
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bank — for money
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bank — for money
  11. branch — a division
  12. craft — a skill
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. craft — boats
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pitch — completely
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bank — of a river
  21. root — of a word
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to click
  24. root — the cause

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