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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: track · content · game · plane · arm · branch · key · season

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. season — in sport
  3. plane — a tool
  4. key — in music
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. track — a song
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. track — a path
  11. branch — a division
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. season — of the year
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. key — for a lock
  17. game — a match
  18. track — to keep track
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. content — the amount
  21. key — the most important part
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. game — a kind of play

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