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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: spell · branch · sharp · bat · craft · rock · last · jam

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rock — music
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. spell — letters
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — a skill
  13. spell — magic
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. last — finally
  18. spell — a short time
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. branch — a division
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bat — the animal
  24. craft — boats

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