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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. chip — to eat
  3. season — of the year
  4. chip — for betting
  5. charge — in control
  6. club — a group
  7. charge — electricity
  8. shower — to wash
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. plane — a tool
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — an amount
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. season — in sport
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. charge — a price
  24. degree — from a university

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