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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. last — finally
  4. bass — the fish
  5. board — to get on
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. root — of a word
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. club — for dancing
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. last — to go on
  13. board — a committee
  14. last — final
  15. club — a group
  16. branch — a division
  17. shower — rain
  18. root — the cause
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. shower — to wash
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bass — low music
  24. root — of a plant

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