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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. chip — to eat
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. roll — a cake
  12. firm — steady
  13. plane — a tool
  14. capital — a city
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chip — for betting
  17. deal — to handle
  18. firm — decided
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — money
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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