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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · row · file · racket · plane · season · foot · bear

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. season — in sport
  3. file — a tool
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pop — soda
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. row — a line
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bear — the animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. season — of the year
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bear — the animal
  18. plane — a tool
  19. foot — a measure
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. file — a document
  22. pop — music
  23. row — to paddle
  24. racket — for tennis

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