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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. season — in sport
  4. ground — the earth
  5. plane — a tool
  6. firm — a company
  7. ground — crushed
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. root — of a plant
  11. rule — a law
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. root — of a word
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. roll — a list
  19. root — the cause
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — government
  22. roll — a cake
  23. ground — a position
  24. season — of the year

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