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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pit — a hole
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. face — part of the head
  6. roll — a cake
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. roll — a list
  14. pit — in a race
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. face — to point toward
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. toast — bread
  22. dip — to sink
  23. capital — a city
  24. face — to confront

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