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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: suit · ground · fan · craft · branch · row · leaves · capital

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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. craft — boats
  2. branch — a division
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. capital — a city
  8. suit — in cards
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — money
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. ground — the earth
  13. row — to paddle
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. ground — crushed
  16. suit — clothes
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. ground — a position
  21. row — a line
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. suit — to fit
  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