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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. cue — for pool
  3. chip — to eat
  4. march — the month
  5. chip — for betting
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. march — music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. march — the month
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pitch — completely

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