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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: bat · cue · mark · object · plane · fan · foot · squash

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. cue — for pool
  4. squash — the sport
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. object — an aim
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. object — a thing
  9. bat — the animal
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cue — a signal
  12. foot — a measure
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. plane — a tool
  18. squash — to crush
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mark — a trace

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