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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. plane — a tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rule — a law
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. squash — the sport
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. ground — crushed
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. court — of law
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. court — of a king
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rule — government
  23. pass — a permit
  24. court — for sport

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