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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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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 · vault · cap · plane · lash · land · ground · club

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. land — a country
  3. cap — of ice
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. ground — crushed
  6. land — ground
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cap — a lid
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. club — a group
  11. land — to come down
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. plane — a tool
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. club — for dancing
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. club — for golf
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cap — a hat
  24. ground — the earth

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