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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fine — high quality
  4. current — happening now
  5. land — to come down
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. land — ground
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fine — all right
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. track — a song
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cell — in biology
  18. track — a path
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. current — electric
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. current — of water
  24. land — a country

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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