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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. rule — a law
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rule — government
  6. mine — for digging
  7. land — a country
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. land — to come down
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. ball — a dance
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. land — ground

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