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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. tube — the underground
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. ball — a dance
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. can — to be able to
  11. plane — a tool
  12. can — a tin
  13. land — ground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. ball — a great time
  16. land — to come down
  17. content — happy
  18. land — a country
  19. can — a tin
  20. tube — a container
  21. cue — for pool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — the amount

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