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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bank — of a river
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. plane — a tool
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chip — for betting
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bank — for money
  16. key — for a lock
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bank — for money
  20. chip — to eat
  21. key — in music
  22. chair — a leader
  23. key — the most important part
  24. plane — an aircraft

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