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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: hand · roll · ruler · bore · craft · pitcher · sharp · branch

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. craft — boats
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. hand — in cards
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. roll — a list
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. hand — help
  13. sharp — clever
  14. craft — a skill
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. branch — a division
  17. roll — a cake
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bore — to drill
  24. branch — of a bank

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