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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. charge — in control
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. game — a match
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bass — low music
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. charge — a price
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bass — the fish
  18. game — wild animals

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