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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. squash — to crush
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ground — crushed
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. shower — rain
  10. plane — a tool
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mine — for digging
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. vault — a safe
  17. saw — the tool
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. ground — the earth
  22. squash — the sport
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. ground — a position

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