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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: saw · bat · content · pit · plane · mug · branch · net

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. content — the amount
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mug — a cup
  8. net — after costs
  9. pit — a hole
  10. content — happy
  11. mug — a face
  12. plane — a tool
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. branch — a division
  18. pit — in a race
  19. net — in sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mug — to rob
  22. net — for catching
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. plane — in geometry

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