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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: jam · band · branch · sharp · firm · craft · drill · track

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. sharp — clever
  3. band — a music group
  4. craft — boats
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. firm — a company
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. branch — a division
  9. track — a song
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. drill — a practice
  15. band — a ring
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. craft — a skill
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. firm — decided
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. drill — army training
  23. firm — steady
  24. branch — of a bank

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