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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: ground · fork · plane · bat · rest · mark · craft · mug

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mark — a trace
  3. ground — the earth
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. ground — a position
  9. bat — the animal
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mug — a face
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mark — a grade
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. craft — boats
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rest — a break
  24. mark — to pay attention

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