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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. chip — to eat
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. chip — for betting
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mine — for digging
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. lean — to bend
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. cue — for pool
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. date — the fruit
  19. cue — a hint
  20. plane — a tool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. plane — in geometry

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