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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bound — tied together
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. land — a country
  6. bound — certain
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bound — obliged
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — for digging
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. land — ground
  21. land — to come down
  22. cue — for pool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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