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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. kid — to tease
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cue — for pool
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. spell — letters
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rock — music
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. ground — crushed
  15. spell — magic
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. ground — a position
  18. stem — to come from
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rock — a stone
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. kid — child
  23. ground — the earth
  24. spell — a short time

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