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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: content · race · plane · season · mouse · pitcher · fan · nail

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. race — the arms race
  4. content — happy
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. content — the amount
  7. season — of the year
  8. race — humankind
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. plane — a tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. race — a contest
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. season — in sport
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. nail — on a finger

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