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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: ground · squash · kid · branch · craft · stick · patient · suit

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. squash — to crush
  3. craft — a skill
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. suit — to fit
  6. kid — child
  7. craft — boats
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — the sport
  11. ground — a position
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. suit — in cards
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. suit — clothes
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ground — the earth
  23. kid — to tease
  24. ground — crushed

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