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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 116 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. game — a match
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bass — the fish
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. firm — decided
  14. plane — a tool
  15. firm — a company
  16. fork — in a road
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hand — help
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. hand — part of the body

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