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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. track — to keep track
  3. roll — a list
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cue — a signal
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. track — a path
  14. cue — for pool
  15. roll — a cake
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. plane — a tool
  18. track — a song
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. perch — the fish
  23. deal — a big deal
  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