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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.

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: mine · root · season · branch · net · ball · land · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. root — the cause
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. net — after costs
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. root — of a word
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. land — to come down
  11. mine — for digging
  12. season — in sport
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. net — in sport
  15. land — ground
  16. ball — a great time
  17. root — of a plant
  18. season — of the year
  19. land — a country
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. branch — a division
  22. ball — a dance
  23. net — for catching
  24. branch — of a tree

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