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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. march — the month
  3. pit — a hole
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. plane — a tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. deal — to handle
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. last — finally
  14. march — music
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. march — the month
  17. last — to go on
  18. rush — hurry
  19. last — final
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pitcher — a jug

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