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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. last — to go on
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. last — final
  8. last — finally
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. field — for sport
  12. plane — a tool
  13. current — of water
  14. suit — clothes
  15. field — farmland
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. field — a subject
  19. current — electric
  20. rule — a law
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. rule — government
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. current — happening now

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