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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: fork · racket · cabinet · clip · plane · ground · craft · pass

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. clip — to cut
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. clip — a video
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. craft — boats
  15. ground — the earth
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. ground — a position
  22. fork — in a road
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. clip — for paper

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