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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. cue — a signal
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — for pool
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. scale — size or range
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stem — to come from
  18. scale — in music

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