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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 116 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: bass · race · pop · craft · branch · cap · leaves · dip

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. branch — a division
  3. craft — a skill
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bass — low music
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pop — to visit
  10. race — humankind
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pop — soda
  13. bass — the fish
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. craft — boats
  16. cap — a lid
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cap — a hat
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pop — music

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