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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. game — wild animals
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. swing — to play on
  8. present — the time now
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. plane — a tool
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. board — a committee
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. swing — music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pound — a weight
  22. present — there
  23. game — a match
  24. board — to get on

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