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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: present · craft · branch · race · wake · cap · bowl · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. present — the time now
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wake — a trail
  9. race — a contest
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. race — the arms race
  13. branch — a division
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cap — a hat
  16. present — there
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. race — humankind
  20. present — a gift
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  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