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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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468
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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. land — to come down
  7. bass — low music
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. plane — a tool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. kid — child
  17. club — for golf
  18. land — a country
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bass — the fish
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. land — ground

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