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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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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 · chair · board · branch · club · cap · stick · leaves

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cap — of ice
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. craft — a skill
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. board — a committee
  11. branch — a division
  12. club — for dancing
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. craft — boats
  16. cap — a hat
  17. club — a group
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cap — a lid
  21. board — to get on
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. club — for golf
  24. craft — a handicraft

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