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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pop — soda
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fine — all right
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pop — to visit
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — child
  18. pop — music

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