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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. cap — a hat
  4. snap — to click
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. fine — all right
  9. cap — of ice
  10. fine — high quality
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. staff — a stick
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. plane — a tool
  17. staff — employees
  18. rule — government
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rule — a law
  21. scale — in music
  22. cap — a lid
  23. staff — employees
  24. rule — to rule out

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