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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: plane · rule · game · last · craft · mark · chip · season

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. game — a match
  3. rule — a law
  4. mark — a grade
  5. last — final
  6. craft — boats
  7. plane — a tool
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. last — to go on
  13. season — in sport
  14. chip — for betting
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rule — government
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. craft — a skill
  19. game — wild animals
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mark — a trace
  22. last — finally
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. season — of the year

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