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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. land — to come down
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. vault — a safe
  4. swing — in golf
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. court — of a king
  15. chip — to eat
  16. deal — to handle
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. land — a country
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. land — ground
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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