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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 116 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: plane · row · mark · mine · band · racket · board · deal

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. deal — to handle
  4. row — a line
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. band — a ring
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mine — for digging
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. board — to get on
  20. band — a music group
  21. row — to paddle
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mark — a grade

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