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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — a division
  3. can — a tin
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. ball — a great time
  6. can — to be able to
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. ball — a dance
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. plane — a tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. season — of the year
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. date — the fruit
  18. plane — in geometry

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