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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: mark · cue · fork · season · staff · plane · game · rock

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. season — in sport
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. fork — in a road
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rock — a stone
  9. game — a match
  10. cue — a hint
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. mark — a grade
  14. staff — employees
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rock — music
  19. cue — a signal
  20. season — of the year
  21. cue — for pool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. game — a kind of play

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