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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pop — soda
  4. ball — a dance
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. pop — to visit
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. drill — the tool
  10. toast — bread
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. ball — a great time
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. row — a line
  17. roll — a list
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pop — music
  22. plane — a tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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