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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: suit · bass · court · craft · foot · field · fork · branch

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. field — for sport
  3. craft — boats
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. field — a subject
  9. fork — in a road
  10. court — of law
  11. branch — a division
  12. craft — a skill
  13. suit — in cards
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. court — of a king
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. suit — clothes
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. field — farmland
  24. court — for sport

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