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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. land — ground
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cue — a hint
  9. row — a line
  10. squash — to crush
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bat — the animal
  13. land — a country
  14. fine — high quality
  15. cue — a signal
  16. land — to come down
  17. row — to paddle
  18. fine — all right
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. cue — for pool
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bowl — to roll

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