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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: row · stick · plane · club · sharp · squash · branch · track

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. squash — to crush
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. branch — a division
  7. track — a song
  8. club — a group
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. plane — a tool
  12. club — for golf
  13. row — to paddle
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. track — to keep track
  16. squash — the sport
  17. sharp — clever
  18. row — a line
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. track — a path
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. plane — an aircraft

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