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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: court · pitcher · lash · branch · pop · wave · plane · board

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. plane — a tool
  13. branch — a division
  14. court — of a king
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. court — of law
  22. board — a committee
  23. court — for sport
  24. pop — to visit

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