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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: ball · deal · stick · bulb · branch · chair · craft · scale

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. scale — in music
  12. branch — a division
  13. ball — a great time
  14. deal — to handle
  15. craft — a skill
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a leader
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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