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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: craft · rush · key · nail · squash · branch · season · court

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. squash — to crush
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. key — in music
  6. court — of law
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. court — for sport
  9. squash — the sport
  10. key — the most important part
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. court — of a king
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. season — of the year
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. branch — a division
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. season — in sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. craft — boats
  24. rush — hurry

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