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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. spell — magic
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. race — the arms race
  8. suit — to fit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. club — for golf
  12. wound — an injury
  13. suit — in cards
  14. spell — a short time
  15. suit — clothes
  16. race — humankind
  17. club — a group
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. race — a contest
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — completely
  23. wound — an injury
  24. spell — letters

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