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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mine — for digging
  5. date — the fruit
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. cue — for pool
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — for sport
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. game — a match
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. field — a subject
  21. cue — a hint
  22. game — wild animals
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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