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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: fan · branch · field · object · march · temple · craft · court

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. field — a subject
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. court — of law
  6. march — the month
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. craft — a skill
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. field — farmland
  13. court — for sport
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. object — an aim
  16. branch — a division
  17. court — of a king
  18. object — a thing
  19. craft — boats
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. field — for sport
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. object — to protest

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