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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. ground — crushed
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. date — the fruit
  5. board — to get on
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. root — the cause
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. plane — a tool
  11. chip — for betting
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. root — of a word
  17. dip — to sink
  18. ground — a position
  19. root — of a plant
  20. board — a committee
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ground — the earth
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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