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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. spell — letters
  4. stand — to bear
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rock — music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. track — a path
  11. mine — for digging
  12. spell — a short time
  13. plane — a tool
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. spell — magic
  16. rock — a stone
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. track — a song
  20. club — for golf
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mine — belonging to me

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