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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 120 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
468
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: branch · scale · plane · game · can · racket · ball · straw

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. game — wild animals
  4. scale — size or range
  5. can — a tin
  6. game — a match
  7. branch — a division
  8. ball — a great time
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. can — a tin
  12. scale — in music
  13. can — to be able to
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ball — a dance
  22. plane — a tool
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. branch — of a tree

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