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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
468
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: object · club · cabinet · date · field · foot · squash · plane

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. squash — to crush
  3. foot — a measure
  4. club — for dancing
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. field — farmland
  10. squash — the sport
  11. field — for sport
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. club — for golf
  14. date — the fruit
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. club — a group
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. field — a subject
  20. plane — a tool
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cabinet — ministers

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