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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. last — finally
  3. pop — soda
  4. last — final
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rest — a break
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. plane — a tool
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rest — what's left
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. tube — a container
  20. rest — what's left
  21. tube — the underground
  22. last — to go on
  23. pop — music
  24. plane — in geometry

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