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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: sharp · jam · craft · season · bowl · pitcher · court · branch

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. season — of the year
  11. court — of law
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. court — for sport
  16. season — in sport
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — boats
  24. branch — of a bank

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