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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. plane — a tool
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. board — to get on
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. board — a committee
  17. fine — all right
  18. board — a flat piece

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