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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 124 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. branch — a division
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. mark — a grade
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bear — the animal
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. stock — shares
  20. mark — a trace
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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