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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. land — to come down
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. land — ground
  5. cap — of ice
  6. plane — a tool
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. game — a match
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. land — a country
  12. season — of the year
  13. squash — to crush
  14. vault — a safe
  15. cap — a lid
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. suit — to fit
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. season — in sport
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. cap — a hat
  24. squash — the sport

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