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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: craft · bank · branch · net · coach · drill · sharp · row

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bank — for money
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bank — of a river
  6. drill — army training
  7. row — to paddle
  8. net — after costs
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. drill — a practice
  11. sharp — clever
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. row — a line
  14. branch — a division
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bank — for money
  24. net — in sport

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