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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 116 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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. clip — for paper
  4. march — music
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. clip — a video
  10. suit — to fit
  11. mine — for digging
  12. plane — a tool
  13. suit — clothes
  14. clip — to cut
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. march — the month
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. march — the month
  21. suit — in cards
  22. cue — a hint
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. mine — an explosive

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