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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 120 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. track — a song
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. game — wild animals
  9. cell — a phone
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rock — music
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. track — to keep track
  15. cell — in biology
  16. track — a path
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cue — a signal
  22. game — a match
  23. plane — a tool
  24. cue — a hint

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