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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. rule — a law
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. vault — a safe
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. key — the most important part
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rule — government
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rash — hasty
  20. game — a match
  21. deal — to handle
  22. key — in music
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rash — a series

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