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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 116 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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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 — a tool
  2. band — a music group
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pit — a hole
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mug — to rob
  14. capital — a city
  15. band — a ring
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. land — a country
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. land — to come down
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. capital — money
  23. swing — to play on
  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