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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: object · racket · last · leaves · branch · jam · fine · craft

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  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. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. last — to go on
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. craft — boats
  8. fine — high quality
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. object — to protest
  18. craft — a skill
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. object — a thing
  22. fine — all right
  23. object — an aim
  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