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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 120 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: foot · wind · craft · racket · straw · suit · board · branch

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. board — to get on
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. branch — a division
  8. craft — a skill
  9. wind — moving air
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. board — a committee
  19. suit — clothes
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. craft — boats
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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