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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 116 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. can — a tin
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. can — to be able to
  10. degree — temperature
  11. plane — a tool
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — from a university
  14. file — a tool
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. file — a line of people
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. cue — a hint
  19. can — a tin
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. drill — the tool
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. file — a document

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