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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 · pop · deal · mug · chair · racket · sharp

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. ball — a dance
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. plane — a tool
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pop — to visit
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pop — music
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — a face
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. sharp — clever
  16. chair — a leader
  17. ball — a great time
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pop — soda
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mug — to rob

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