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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. drill — army training
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. drill — a practice
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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