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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: mug · ground · rock · net · plane · snap · branch · track

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. branch — a division
  3. mug — a face
  4. ground — a position
  5. track — to keep track
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — music
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. track — a song
  16. snap — to click
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. ground — crushed
  19. net — after costs
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rock — a stone
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. track — a path
  24. plane — a tool

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