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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: present · craft · arm · branch · squash · pass · court · straw

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. court — of a king
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. craft — boats
  6. present — the time now
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. branch — a division
  11. present — there
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. squash — to crush
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. pass — a permit
  17. present — a gift
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. squash — the sport
  21. court — for sport
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. court — of law
  24. branch — of a tree

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