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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. season — of the year
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rest — what's left
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. season — in sport
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. plane — a tool
  12. game — a match
  13. rest — a break
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. ball — a dance
  17. game — wild animals
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. foot — a measure
  23. rest — what's left
  24. net — in sport

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