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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: fine · plane · mine · ball · bat · scale · branch · deal

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. scale — size or range
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. ball — a dance
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. fine — all right
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. plane — a tool
  19. scale — in music
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mine — for digging
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bat — the animal
  24. branch — a division

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