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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 124 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. staff — employees
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. staff — a stick
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rock — a stone
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rock — music
  16. staff — employees
  17. game — wild animals
  18. chip — for betting
  19. plane — a tool
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fine — all right
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. chip — in a computer

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