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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: pop · land · arm · branch · toast · degree · plane · suit

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pop — soda
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. land — ground
  5. pop — music
  6. branch — a division
  7. suit — to fit
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. degree — from a university
  10. suit — clothes
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. suit — in cards
  14. plane — a tool
  15. toast — bread
  16. pop — to visit
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. degree — temperature
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. degree — an amount
  24. arm — a part of something

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