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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. date — the fruit
  6. craft — boats
  7. swing — music
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. capital — a city
  14. season — in sport
  15. tube — a container
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rest — what's left
  23. craft — a skill
  24. capital — money

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