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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cue — a hint
  3. roll — a cake
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. roll — a list
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. track — a song
  14. mine — for digging
  15. cue — a signal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. scale — size or range
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. plane — a tool

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