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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. ground — crushed
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. key — in music
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. key — for a lock
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ground — a position
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. ground — the earth
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. prune — to trim
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. kick — in football

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