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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 124 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. last — to go on
  8. club — for dancing
  9. game — wild animals
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. last — finally
  12. club — a group
  13. bound — obliged
  14. plane — a tool
  15. present — a gift
  16. bound — certain
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. last — final
  19. club — for golf
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. sharp — clever
  24. game — a match

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