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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: kid · plane · bowl · season · wave · fine · racket · craft

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. season — of the year
  3. plane — a tool
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. kid — child
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. season — in sport
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fine — all right
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. craft — boats
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wave — of the sea

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