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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. season — in sport
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. rest — what's left
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rest — a break
  7. pitch — completely
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. chair — a leader
  20. plane — a tool
  21. court — for sport
  22. shower — rain
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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