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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. date — the fruit
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. net — for catching
  6. row — to paddle
  7. net — after costs
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. row — a line
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. squash — to crush
  13. plane — a tool
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. net — in sport
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pit — in a race
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. branch — a division
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. squash — the sport
  24. plane — an aircraft

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