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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: trunk · firm · row · suit · plane · foot · bass · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. foot — a measure
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bass — low music
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. bass — the fish
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. firm — decided
  11. game — wild animals
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. suit — in cards
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. suit — clothes
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. game — a match

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