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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: bear · jam · foot · cap · plane · saw · game · branch

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. plane — a tool
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. saw — the tool
  6. branch — a division
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. game — a match
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. foot — a measure
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. saw — the tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bear — the animal
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cap — a hat
  22. game — wild animals
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. branch — of a bank

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