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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 · clip · squash · mug · firm · date · bass

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. firm — a company
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bass — low music
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. squash — to crush
  10. craft — a skill
  11. branch — a division
  12. clip — to cut
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. craft — boats
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mug — a face
  18. firm — decided
  19. mug — a cup
  20. firm — steady
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bass — the fish
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. clip — a video

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