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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. scale — size or range
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fork — in a road
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. snap — to click
  8. scale — in music
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. rest — what's left
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fine — high quality
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rest — a break

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