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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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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: rest · club · pit · swing · saw · plane · land · race

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pit — in a race
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. land — ground
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. race — a contest
  14. plane — a tool
  15. race — humankind
  16. swing — in golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. saw — the tool
  19. swing — music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. swing — to play on
  22. race — the arms race
  23. land — a country
  24. plane — in geometry

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