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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. cold — not warm
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bass — the fish
  5. can — a tin
  6. bass — low music
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fine — all right
  9. can — a tin
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bore — to tire
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ball — a great time
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cold — an illness

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