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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. spell — letters
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. spell — a short time
  7. file — a tool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ball — a dance
  10. file — a document
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. ball — a great time
  14. board — a committee
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. board — to get on
  17. file — a line of people
  18. plane — a tool
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. current — of water
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. spell — magic

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