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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bound — certain
  5. scale — in music
  6. bound — obliged
  7. land — a country
  8. charge — electricity
  9. net — for catching
  10. staff — employees
  11. charge — in control
  12. land — ground
  13. net — after costs
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bound — tied together
  18. charge — a price
  19. scale — size or range
  20. staff — employees
  21. plane — a tool
  22. net — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. plane — an aircraft

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