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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: can · plane · scale · club · track · branch · clip · roll

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. clip — a video
  7. track — a song
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. clip — to cut
  10. club — for golf
  11. track — a path
  12. roll — a cake
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. track — to keep track
  20. can — a tin
  21. scale — size or range
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a list
  24. branch — a division

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