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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 · mug · deal · branch · spell · rock · bat · mate

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mate — a partner
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mate — to breed
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bat — the animal
  9. mate — a friend
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rock — music
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. spell — a short time
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mug — a cup
  17. spell — magic
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mug — a face
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. branch — a division
  24. craft — boats

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