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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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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 · net · branch · deal · pass · hide · pop · bat

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. craft — boats
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. net — in sport
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pop — soda
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. pop — to visit
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. craft — a skill
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. branch — a division
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bat — the animal
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pop — music
  24. net — after costs

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