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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. club — for golf
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. toast — bread
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. chair — a leader
  8. last — finally
  9. last — to go on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. capital — money
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. last — final
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. club — a group
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. capital — a city

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