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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: last · club · present · shower · branch · bass · plane · bowl

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. club — for golf
  3. plane — a tool
  4. club — for dancing
  5. last — finally
  6. present — a gift
  7. shower — rain
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bass — low music
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. present — the time now
  15. bass — the fish
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — final
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. shower — to wash
  23. club — a group
  24. branch — a division

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