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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · bear · key · pitch · mine · branch · craft · cap

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. cap — a lid
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. track — to keep track
  7. branch — a division
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. craft — a skill
  18. mine — for digging
  19. track — a path
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pitch — completely
  22. track — a song
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cap — a hat

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