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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 · plane · rule · racket · saw · land · ground · squash

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mark — a grade
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. land — a country
  7. ground — the earth
  8. land — to come down
  9. rule — government
  10. land — ground
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ground — a position
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rule — a law
  15. mark — a trace
  16. squash — the sport
  17. saw — the tool
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. squash — to crush

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