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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. game — a match
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ball — a dance
  9. present — the time now
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. fork — in a road
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. root — of a word
  16. ball — a great time
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. present — there
  20. cold — an illness
  21. game — wild animals
  22. cold — not warm
  23. present — a gift
  24. fork — a garden 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