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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. chip — to eat
  5. scale — size or range
  6. chip — for betting
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. ground — crushed
  9. scale — in music
  10. suit — to fit
  11. field — farmland
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. hand — in cards
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. ground — the earth
  16. hand — help
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for sport
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. suit — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. ground — a position
  24. suit — clothes

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