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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: fine · game · face · plane · rock · trunk · racket · roll

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. fine — all right
  5. rock — music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. roll — a cake
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. game — wild animals
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. game — a match
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rock — a stone
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — part of the head

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