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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: season · squash · band · firm · kid · foot · plane · chair

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. season — of the year
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. firm — a company
  7. squash — to crush
  8. band — a music group
  9. plane — a tool
  10. foot — a measure
  11. firm — steady
  12. season — in sport
  13. firm — decided
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. squash — the sport
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. band — a ring
  21. kid — child
  22. chair — a leader
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. squash — the vegetable

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