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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. field — a subject
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for golf
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. squash — the sport
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. field — for sport
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. field — farmland
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. plane — a tool

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