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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: cabinet · plane · land · fine · branch · pitch · foot · wind

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. branch — a division
  5. land — ground
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pitch — completely
  12. land — a country
  13. land — to come down
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. plane — a tool
  24. fine — all right

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