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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. sharp — clever
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. spell — letters
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. plane — a tool
  11. squash — to crush
  12. spell — a short time
  13. capital — a city
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. squash — the sport
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. board — to get on
  22. spell — magic
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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