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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: field · branch · press · snap · plane · wave · pitcher · club

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. club — for dancing
  3. press — to push
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — farmland
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. field — for sport
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to click
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. press — newspapers
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. press — a publisher

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