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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 sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rock — music
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. field — a subject
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. club — for dancing
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. deal — to handle
  16. plane — a tool
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rock — a stone
  21. club — for golf
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. club — a group

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