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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. land — to come down
  4. bass — the fish
  5. plane — a tool
  6. key — in music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. spell — magic
  10. pop — soda
  11. land — ground
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pop — music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. land — a country
  17. bass — low music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. key — for a lock
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pop — to visit

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