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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: plane · board · staff · season · net · last · fork · mark

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. staff — employees
  4. net — for catching
  5. board — a committee
  6. season — in sport
  7. staff — employees
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. mark — a trace
  11. board — to get on
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. last — to go on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. last — finally
  17. net — after costs
  18. fork — in a road
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mark — a grade
  21. net — in sport
  22. last — final
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. staff — a stick

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