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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. squash — to crush
  3. spring — a coil
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pitch — completely
  6. spring — of water
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. roll — a list
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. roll — a cake
  18. spring — the season
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. squash — the sport
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. fine — all right
  24. patient — a sick person

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