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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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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. land — a country
  5. charge — electricity
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. charge — a price
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. plane — a tool
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. land — to come down
  16. content — the amount
  17. charge — in control
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. content — happy
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. ball — a dance
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. land — ground

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