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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. track — a song
  5. fine — all right
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. game — wild animals
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pass — a permit
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. mine — for digging
  20. game — a match
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. plane — a tool
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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