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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.

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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: snap · plane · pit · band · branch · pitcher · ground · fan

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pit — a hole
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. band — a ring
  12. pit — in a race
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. branch — a division
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to click
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. band — a music group
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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