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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. chair — a leader
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. march — music
  10. plane — a tool
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. march — the month
  15. stock — goods
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ground — a position
  18. stock — shares
  19. march — the month
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. ground — crushed
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chair — a professorship

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