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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. saw — the tool
  3. club — for golf
  4. branch — a division
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. plane — a tool
  7. scale — size or range
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. club — a group
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. club — for dancing
  24. saw — the tool

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