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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. plane — a tool
  8. spell — letters
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. prune — to trim
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. club — for dancing
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. branch — a division
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the fish

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