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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. plane — a tool
  5. spring — the season
  6. rash — a series
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. spring — of water
  10. deal — to handle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rash — hasty
  21. row — a line
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stand — to bear

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