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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 120 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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. court — for sport
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. season — of the year
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. court — of a king
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. court — of law
  13. rest — a break
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. season — in sport
  21. plane — a tool
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. arm — part of the body

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