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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. plane — a tool
  3. root — the cause
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. last — to go on
  6. season — of the year
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ground — a position
  9. game — a match
  10. last — final
  11. ground — crushed
  12. season — in sport
  13. last — finally
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. suit — to fit
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. game — wild animals
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ground — the earth

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