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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: ground · stick · fork · jam · plane · fan · hand · season

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. ground — the earth
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. hand — help
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. ground — a position
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. season — in sport
  21. hand — in cards
  22. season — of the year
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. ground — crushed

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