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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. ground — the earth
  5. fork — in a road
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. ground — a position
  9. pit — a hole
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. capital — a city
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. ground — crushed
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. capital — money

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