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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. ground — a position
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. craft — a skill
  6. land — to come down
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. plane — a tool
  9. press — to push
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. land — ground
  13. craft — boats
  14. ground — the earth
  15. staff — employees
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. press — newspapers
  18. staff — employees
  19. ground — crushed
  20. press — a publisher
  21. staff — a stick
  22. land — a country
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. scale — for weighing

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