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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pop — to visit
  3. spell — a short time
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pop — music
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. scale — in music
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pop — soda
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. stock — goods
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stock — shares
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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