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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. face — to confront
  4. tube — a container
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. capital — money
  7. ball — a great time
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. current — of water
  10. capital — a city
  11. fork — in a road
  12. current — electric
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. current — happening now
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. plane — a tool
  22. ball — a dance
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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