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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. land — to come down
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. ground — the earth
  5. land — ground
  6. charge — in control
  7. ground — a position
  8. board — to get on
  9. ground — crushed
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. charge — electricity
  12. root — of a word
  13. board — a committee
  14. sharp — clever
  15. land — a country
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. spell — letters
  18. root — the cause
  19. spell — a short time
  20. root — of a plant
  21. plane — a tool
  22. charge — a price
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. spell — magic

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