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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pass · foot · racket · band · branch · spring · craft

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. craft — boats
  3. spring — a coil
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. spring — of water
  6. branch — a division
  7. craft — a skill
  8. present — a gift
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. foot — a measure
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. band — a music group
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. band — a ring
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. spring — the season
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — there
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pass — a permit

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