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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: branch · degree · bowl · plane · race · mine · mouse · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. degree — from a university
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bear — the animal
  16. degree — temperature
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. branch — a division
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — humankind
  23. mine — for digging
  24. race — a contest

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