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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 120 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. squash — the sport
  4. club — for dancing
  5. land — to come down
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. club — a group
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. club — for golf
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. land — ground
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. capital — money
  17. foot — a measure
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. plane — a tool
  20. squash — to crush
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. capital — a city
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. plane — an aircraft

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