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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bear — the animal
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fall — the season
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. plane — a tool
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bear — the animal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fall — to drop
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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