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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. race — humankind
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. race — the arms race
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. ball — a dance
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. race — a contest
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — a list

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