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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cue — a signal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fine — all right
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. fine — high quality
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bass — the fish
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. cap — of ice
  12. shower — rain
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. cue — for pool
  15. court — of law
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bass — low music
  19. court — for sport
  20. plane — a tool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cap — a lid
  23. court — of a king
  24. cap — a hat

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