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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 120 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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. club — for dancing
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. club — for golf
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. track — to keep track
  10. squash — the sport
  11. spring — of water
  12. squash — to crush
  13. track — a path
  14. rule — a law
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. track — a song
  17. rule — government
  18. cell — a phone
  19. spring — a coil
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. spring — the season
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. cell — in biology
  24. leaves — of a tree

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