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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: stock · cue · fork · racket · cell · sharp · ground · plane

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. ground — crushed
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. cell — in biology
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. cell — a phone
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. plane — a tool
  13. sharp — clever
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ground — a position
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. fork — in a road
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — a hint

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