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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. club — a group
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. season — of the year
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. prune — to trim
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. club — for golf
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — a phone
  15. plane — a tool
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. club — for dancing
  21. cell — in biology
  22. chip — for betting
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. plane — an aircraft

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