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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. spell — magic
  3. game — wild animals
  4. current — electric
  5. key — in music
  6. sharp — clever
  7. court — of law
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. file — a tool
  13. key — for a lock
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. key — the most important part
  16. court — for sport
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. spell — a short time
  19. file — a document
  20. court — of a king
  21. spell — letters
  22. game — a match
  23. plane — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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