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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. club — a group
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. row — a line
  8. game — a match
  9. club — for golf
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. can — to be able to
  14. club — for dancing
  15. prune — to trim
  16. board — to get on
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. plane — a tool
  19. can — a tin
  20. board — a committee
  21. prune — to trim
  22. row — to paddle
  23. can — a tin
  24. bank — of a river

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