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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. kid — child
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. plane — a tool
  10. board — to get on
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. track — to keep track
  14. game — a match
  15. track — a path
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. board — a committee
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mate — to breed
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. game — wild animals
  22. track — a song
  23. mate — a partner
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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