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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. game — wild animals
  3. root — of a word
  4. bass — low music
  5. stock — shares
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rule — government
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bass — the fish
  11. root — the cause
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. game — a match
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rule — a law
  21. root — of a plant
  22. swing — music
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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