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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. club — for golf
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. field — farmland
  6. present — the time now
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. present — there
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. field — for sport
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. suit — in cards
  14. club — for dancing
  15. plane — a tool
  16. club — a group
  17. season — of the year
  18. suit — clothes
  19. ball — a great time
  20. field — a subject
  21. suit — to fit
  22. ball — a dance
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. present — a gift

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