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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. deal — to handle
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pitch — completely
  6. shower — rain
  7. club — for golf
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. march — the month
  10. pass — a permit
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. spell — magic
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. shower — to wash
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. spell — letters
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. club — a group
  21. march — music
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. spell — a short time
  24. march — the month

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