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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. staff — employees
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. game — a match
  8. spell — a short time
  9. staff — employees
  10. spell — magic
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. plane — a tool
  13. field — for sport
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. field — a subject
  21. spell — letters
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. field — farmland
  24. staff — a stick

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