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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · deal · mark · fine · ball · plane · game · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mark — a grade
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. plane — a tool
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. fine — all right
  13. branch — a division
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mark — a trace
  16. game — a match
  17. ball — a dance
  18. game — wild animals
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. branch — of a tree
  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