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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. land — ground
  4. land — a country
  5. content — the amount
  6. chair — a leader
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. current — of water
  10. pit — in a race
  11. current — electric
  12. pit — a hole
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. field — a subject
  16. current — happening now
  17. field — farmland
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. field — for sport
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. land — to come down
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. content — happy

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