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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. firm — decided
  8. capital — a city
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. current — happening now
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. current — electric
  15. capital — money
  16. current — of water
  17. march — music
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. march — the month
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. march — the month
  23. plane — a tool
  24. sharp — clever

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