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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: plane · branch · prune · key · saw · pitch · bass · land

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bass — low music
  4. prune — to trim
  5. land — to come down
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. branch — a division
  9. saw — the tool
  10. key — in music
  11. saw — the tool
  12. land — a country
  13. key — the most important part
  14. prune — to trim
  15. key — for a lock
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. land — ground
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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