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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: racket · fine · foot · hand · plane · rock · face · ground

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. ground — the earth
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. hand — help
  8. ground — crushed
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rock — a stone
  13. fine — all right
  14. hand — in cards
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. plane — a tool
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. ground — a position
  23. rock — music
  24. face — to point toward

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