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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: saw · season · club · game · mark · toast · ball · plane

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. club — a group
  3. mark — a trace
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. game — wild animals
  6. plane — a tool
  7. club — for dancing
  8. season — of the year
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. club — for golf
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ball — a great time
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. ball — a dance
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. game — a match
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. saw — the tool

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