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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. drill — a practice
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fine — all right
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. craft — a skill
  11. plane — a tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. object — a thing
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. object — to protest
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. drill — the tool
  22. season — in sport
  23. fine — high quality
  24. object — an aim

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