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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. land — ground
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rash — a series
  18. land — to come down
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. land — a country
  21. bass — low music
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bass — the fish
  24. cue — a signal

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