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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: branch · ball · plane · net · racket · nail · lean · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. ball — a dance
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. field — a subject
  7. net — for catching
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. net — in sport
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. field — farmland
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. branch — a division
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. net — after costs
  24. ball — a great time

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