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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mine — for digging
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bass — the fish
  8. suit — to fit
  9. season — of the year
  10. firm — steady
  11. game — a match
  12. firm — decided
  13. bass — low music
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pass — a permit
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. firm — a company
  20. season — in sport
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. mine — an explosive

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