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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rest — a break
  5. plane — a tool
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. ground — a position
  10. rest — what's left
  11. game — a match
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. ground — crushed
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. rest — what's left
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. charge — in control
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. ground — the earth

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