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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · foot · chair · club · plane · race

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. race — a contest
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. club — for dancing
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. club — a group
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. race — the arms race
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. race — humankind
  17. club — for golf
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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