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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. plane — a tool
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. root — of a word
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. toast — bread
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. game — a match
  13. root — of a plant
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rock — a stone
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. root — the cause
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. track — a song
  21. rest — a break
  22. rock — music
  23. rest — what's left
  24. track — a path

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