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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cell — in biology
  5. net — in sport
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. row — to paddle
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cell — a phone
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. foot — a measure
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bat — the animal
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. cue — a hint

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