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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.

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: stock · racket · club · plane · arm · last · bat · chair

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. last — finally
  3. club — for golf
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stock — goods
  6. last — to go on
  7. club — a group
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. stock — shares
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. club — for dancing
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. last — final
  24. chair — a leader

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