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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. swing — in golf
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. craft — boats
  5. rule — government
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. rule — a law
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mine — for digging
  12. date — the fruit
  13. plane — a tool
  14. deal — to handle
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. craft — a skill
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. plane — in geometry

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