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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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. hand — in cards
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. hand — help
  6. club — for golf
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fine — high quality
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fine — all right
  12. ball — a dance
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ball — a great time
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. game — a match

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