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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. can — a tin
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. race — a contest
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. plane — a tool
  10. race — humankind
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. ground — crushed
  13. net — in sport
  14. ground — the earth
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. race — the arms race
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. ground — a position
  19. branch — a division
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wound — an injury
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. wound — an injury

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