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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: plane · racket · toast · game · race · date · wake · season

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. season — in sport
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. wake — a trail
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. season — of the year
  12. plane — a tool
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — bread
  15. date — the fruit
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. game — wild animals
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. game — a match
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — a contest

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