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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bore — to tire
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. race — a contest
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. scale — in music
  9. plane — a tool
  10. race — humankind
  11. scale — size or range
  12. wound — an injury
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bore — to drill
  16. race — the arms race
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. wound — an injury
  19. root — the cause
  20. swing — music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — of a plant

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