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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. capital — money
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. rule — a law
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. charge — a price
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. rule — government
  11. fine — all right
  12. plane — a tool
  13. capital — a city
  14. fine — high quality
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. charge — in control
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. charge — electricity
  23. fork — in a road
  24. capital — a big letter

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