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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rule — a law
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rule — government
  15. cell — in biology
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. fine — high quality
  18. plane — a tool
  19. sharp — clever
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. squash — the sport
  22. cell — a phone
  23. fine — all right
  24. sharp — exactly

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