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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mug — a cup
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mug — a face
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. land — to come down
  14. prune — to trim
  15. degree — from a university
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. mug — to rob
  19. prune — to trim
  20. craft — boats
  21. degree — an amount
  22. game — a match
  23. degree — temperature
  24. craft — a skill

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