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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: craft · branch · toast · pop · bass · field · court · pass

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. craft — boats
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. branch — a division
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. court — for sport
  8. bass — low music
  9. field — a subject
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pass — a permit
  17. court — of a king
  18. field — for sport
  19. toast — bread
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pop — music
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. field — farmland
  24. craft — a skill

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