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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. drill — army training
  3. land — a country
  4. sharp — clever
  5. club — for dancing
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. club — a group
  11. mark — a trace
  12. club — for golf
  13. mark — a grade
  14. date — the fruit
  15. drill — a practice
  16. land — to come down
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mug — a face
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. land — ground
  22. plane — a tool
  23. drill — the tool
  24. date — on the calendar

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