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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: season · fine · row · prune · bat · plane · game · deal

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. game — a match
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bat — the animal
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. fine — high quality
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fine — all right
  13. season — in sport
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — wild animals
  20. season — of the year
  21. row — to paddle
  22. prune — to trim
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. row — a line

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