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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: plane · tube · pop · branch · net · date · club · can

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. tube — a container
  4. plane — a tool
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pop — music
  7. club — for golf
  8. can — a tin
  9. net — after costs
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. club — a group
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pop — to visit
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pop — soda
  16. can — to be able to
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. net — for catching
  19. club — for dancing
  20. tube — the underground
  21. net — in sport
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. branch — a division
  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