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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 120 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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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: foot · cue · game · ground · plane · lash · sharp · fine

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. ground — the earth
  5. cue — a hint
  6. ground — crushed
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. game — wild animals
  9. fine — high quality
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cue — for pool
  12. plane — a tool
  13. game — a match
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. cue — a signal
  17. ground — a position
  18. foot — a measure
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. sharp — clever
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. sharp — with an edge

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