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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. club — for golf
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pop — to visit
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rock — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. pit — in a race
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pop — music
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pit — a hole
  18. lean — thin
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. club — a group
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a city
  24. club — for dancing

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