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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: pitcher · key · plane · mine · chip · branch · tube · racket

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. key — the most important part
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. key — in music
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mine — for digging
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. chip — to eat
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. key — for a lock
  15. chip — for betting
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. tube — the underground
  20. branch — a division
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. mine — an explosive

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