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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: ball · plane · fork · chair · pop · ground · wake · spell

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. chair — a leader
  4. ground — a position
  5. fork — in a road
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. ground — the earth
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. ground — crushed
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pop — music
  12. ball — a great time
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wake — a trail
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pop — soda
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. wake — before a funeral

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