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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. chip — to eat
  5. club — for golf
  6. fall — the season
  7. degree — temperature
  8. club — a group
  9. degree — an amount
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chip — for betting
  12. saw — the tool
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fall — to drop
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. club — for dancing
  18. content — the amount
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. degree — from a university
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. content — happy
  24. saw — the tool

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