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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 116 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
468
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: game · season · vault · plane · branch · racket · cell · bass

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. season — of the year
  3. branch — a division
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. game — a match
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cell — a phone
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. vault — a safe
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bass — low music
  17. plane — a tool
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. cell — in biology
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bass — the fish
  24. game — wild animals

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