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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bass — the fish
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bass — low music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. file — a document
  12. bat — the animal
  13. plane — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pop — soda
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pop — music
  18. file — a tool
  19. pop — to visit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. branch — a division
  24. nail — on a finger

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