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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: mine · racket · ground · clip · stick · arm · deal · plane

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. clip — for paper
  3. plane — a tool
  4. clip — to cut
  5. ground — the earth
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. ground — a position
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. ground — crushed
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. clip — a video
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. deal — to handle
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. mine — for digging
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. arm — part of the body

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