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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. scale — size or range
  4. chest — of your body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. perch — the fish
  15. chest — of your body
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. chest — a box
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. scale — in music
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. plane — a tool
  24. racket — for tennis

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