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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. shower — to wash
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. board — a committee
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. tube — a container
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. ground — crushed
  21. shower — rain
  22. board — to get on
  23. date — the fruit
  24. ground — a position

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