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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. ball — a dance
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. race — humankind
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. race — the arms race
  15. game — a match
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. face — to point toward
  18. ball — a great time
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. race — a contest
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. plane — a tool

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