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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. swing — to play on
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. field — a subject
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. field — for sport
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. swing — music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chip — for betting
  18. squash — to crush
  19. field — farmland
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. swing — in golf

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