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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. ball — a great time
  4. plane — a tool
  5. tube — a container
  6. ball — a dance
  7. fine — high quality
  8. season — of the year
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. ground — the earth
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. season — in sport
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. fine — all right
  24. ground — a position

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