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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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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 · squash · wake · branch · firm · deal · scale · board

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. firm — decided
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. squash — the sport
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. firm — a company
  7. board — to get on
  8. firm — steady
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. squash — to crush
  14. scale — in music
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. plane — a tool
  18. deal — to handle
  19. board — a committee
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wake — a trail
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. deal — an agreement

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