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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.

Make a worksheet

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: track · date · ground · arm · saw · bowl · plane · straw

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. track — to keep track
  4. date — the fruit
  5. ground — the earth
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. ground — crushed
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. track — a path
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. saw — the tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. track — a song
  24. date — on the calendar

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