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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. firm — decided
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. file — a tool
  7. mark — a grade
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mark — a trace
  10. key — the most important part
  11. file — a document
  12. key — for a lock
  13. plane — a tool
  14. field — a subject
  15. squash — the sport
  16. season — in sport
  17. firm — steady
  18. key — in music
  19. field — for sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. season — of the year
  23. field — farmland
  24. squash — to crush

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