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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: club · staff · scale · plane · branch · net · cabinet · land

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. branch — a division
  3. club — for golf
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. net — for catching
  7. staff — employees
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. scale — size or range
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. staff — employees
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. scale — in music
  20. plane — a tool
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. land — to come down
  23. staff — a stick
  24. cabinet — ministers

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