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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. plane — a tool
  8. track — a path
  9. cue — a hint
  10. track — a song
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. club — for golf
  14. march — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. club — a group
  17. squash — the sport
  18. track — to keep track
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a signal

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