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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. root — of a word
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. club — a group
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. root — of a plant
  8. net — in sport
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. net — for catching
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. drill — the tool
  15. root — the cause
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — in football
  18. club — for golf
  19. net — after costs
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. land — ground
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — army training
  24. plane — a tool

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