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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
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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: row · object · fine · plane · perch · wax · pitcher · ground

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. row — a line
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. wax — to grow
  11. ground — a position
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. ground — the earth
  15. plane — a tool
  16. ground — crushed
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fine — high quality
  19. row — to paddle
  20. object — an aim
  21. fine — all right
  22. object — to protest
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wax — for sculpting

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