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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. game — a match
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. game — wild animals
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. present — a gift
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. deal — to handle
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bass — the fish
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bass — low music
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. wound — an injury
  20. present — the time now
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. sharp — clever
  24. present — there

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