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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. chip — to eat
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. plane — a tool
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. game — a match
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bulb — for light
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bulb — for light
  23. tube — a container
  24. leaves — to go away

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