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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · pop · clip · rule · suit · plane · land · track

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. track — a path
  4. land — to come down
  5. pop — music
  6. clip — for paper
  7. pop — to visit
  8. plane — a tool
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — a video
  12. rule — government
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — in cards
  16. rule — a law
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. track — a song
  21. land — a country
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. land — ground

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