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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 116 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. cap — of ice
  7. plane — a tool
  8. spell — a short time
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. craft — a skill
  13. spell — magic
  14. land — a country
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. land — ground
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cap — a hat
  22. land — to come down
  23. bass — low music
  24. cap — a lid

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