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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rush — hurry
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. land — ground
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. land — a country
  11. ball — a great time
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ball — a dance
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. land — to come down
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pitcher — a jug

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