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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bound — obliged
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. capital — a city
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. capital — money
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bass — the fish
  16. branch — a division
  17. bass — low music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bound — certain

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