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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. spring — of water
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. board — to get on
  9. spring — the season
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. scale — size or range
  14. spring — a coil
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. scale — in music
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. plane — a tool
  22. ball — a great time
  23. board — a committee
  24. scale — for weighing

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