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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 120 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: plane · club · mug · stick · row · cap · safe · racket

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cap — a lid
  6. club — for golf
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. row — a line
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. row — to paddle
  12. cap — of ice
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. plane — a tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mug — a face
  18. club — a group
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mug — to rob
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mug — a cup

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