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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. net — for catching
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. net — in sport
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. toast — bread
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. race — humankind
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. race — a contest
  18. net — after costs
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. race — the arms race

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