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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. toast — bread
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. spring — a coil
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — a group
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. foot — a measure
  13. spring — of water
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fork — in a road
  20. club — for dancing
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. spring — the season

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