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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.

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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. track — a song
  3. fork — in a road
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pop — to visit
  6. spell — magic
  7. pop — soda
  8. ball — a dance
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. row — a line
  12. land — a country
  13. spell — a short time
  14. land — to come down
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. land — ground
  18. pop — music
  19. row — to paddle
  20. spell — letters
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. plane — a tool
  24. ball — a great time

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