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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. plane — a tool
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. march — music
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. last — final
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. march — the month
  11. ground — the earth
  12. last — finally
  13. mine — for digging
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. march — the month
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. foot — a measure
  22. ground — a position
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. prune — the fruit

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