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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: staff · degree · field · safe · net · branch · plane · squash

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. net — after costs
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. squash — to crush
  8. field — for sport
  9. degree — an amount
  10. branch — a division
  11. staff — employees
  12. field — farmland
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. staff — employees
  15. degree — temperature
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. degree — from a university
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. net — in sport
  21. staff — a stick
  22. field — a subject
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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