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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. scale — in music
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. plane — a tool
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mine — for digging
  18. lean — to bend
  19. craft — a skill
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. lean — thin
  24. craft — boats

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