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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: foot · net · fork · plane · ground · chair · leaves · pitcher

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chair — a leader
  5. net — after costs
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. ground — a position
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. net — in sport
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. plane — a tool
  20. net — for catching
  21. ground — the earth
  22. fork — in a road
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. leaves — lets stay

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