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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. tube — a container
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. tube — the underground
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. swing — to play on
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. ball — a great time
  20. swing — music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. field — a subject
  23. bear — the animal
  24. plane — a tool

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