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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rest — what's left
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. board — a committee
  8. face — to confront
  9. rest — a break
  10. pop — soda
  11. game — wild animals
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. rest — what's left
  14. date — the fruit
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. face — part of the head
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. face — to point toward
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. game — a match
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. plane — a tool

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