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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: court · sharp · craft · branch · field · ruler · track · ball

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. field — for sport
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. sharp — clever
  5. craft — a skill
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. field — farmland
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. court — for sport
  10. ball — a dance
  11. track — a path
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. field — a subject
  14. ball — a great time
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. court — of a king
  17. track — to keep track
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. branch — a division
  23. court — of law
  24. track — a song

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