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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bat — the animal
  6. land — ground
  7. pass — a permit
  8. scale — size or range
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. land — to come down
  14. plane — a tool
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — bread
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. rash — hasty
  19. scale — in music
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rash — a series
  23. vault — a safe
  24. land — a country

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