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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. root — of a plant
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. rock — a stone
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rock — music
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. ground — crushed
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. toast — bread
  15. ground — a position
  16. root — the cause
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. root — of a word
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. ground — the earth
  24. racket — for tennis

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