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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. season — in sport
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. scale — size or range
  5. chair — a leader
  6. season — of the year
  7. bass — low music
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. plane — a tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wake — a trail
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. court — of law
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. court — for sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. court — of a king

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