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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. scale — in music
  6. cue — a signal
  7. dip — to sink
  8. net — in sport
  9. cue — for pool
  10. tear — to rip
  11. firm — steady
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. firm — a company
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. tear — from crying
  19. plane — a tool
  20. scale — size or range
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — after costs

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