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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 116 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. band — a music group
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pop — music
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pop — soda
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rule — government
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rule — a law
  17. chair — a leader
  18. fine — all right
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pop — to visit
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. band — a ring

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