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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 120 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. plane — a tool
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. present — there
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. staff — a stick
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. staff — employees
  13. spring — the season
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bass — low music
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. saw — the tool
  18. staff — employees
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — of water

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