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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: scale · court · bay · craft · last · tear · bound · branch

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. last — final
  3. tear — from crying
  4. craft — boats
  5. court — of law
  6. branch — a division
  7. scale — size or range
  8. tear — to rip
  9. last — finally
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. court — of a king
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bound — certain
  19. court — for sport
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bound — obliged
  23. last — to go on
  24. tear — from crying

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