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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
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: can · branch · plane · squash · ground · file · pitcher · foot

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. file — a line of people
  3. can — to be able to
  4. ground — a position
  5. squash — to crush
  6. ground — crushed
  7. file — a tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. can — a tin
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. plane — a tool
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. branch — a division
  22. ground — the earth
  23. file — a document
  24. can — a tin

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