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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. firm — decided
  3. fine — all right
  4. board — to get on
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rock — music
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. firm — a company
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. club — for golf
  16. shower — rain
  17. rock — a stone
  18. firm — steady
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — to wash
  22. board — a committee
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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