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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. game — a match
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. tube — a container
  5. charge — electricity
  6. game — wild animals
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. tube — the underground
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. charge — in control
  11. court — of a king
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. current — of water
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. court — for sport
  17. current — happening now
  18. charge — a price
  19. scale — size or range
  20. current — electric
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. scale — in music
  23. court — of law
  24. plane — in geometry

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