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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: pitcher · branch · mate · tube · craft · wound · deal · pop

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pop — music
  6. deal — to handle
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mate — to breed
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mate — a partner
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. craft — boats
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pop — soda
  16. tube — a container
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pitcher — a jug

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