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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. capital — money
  3. cue — a signal
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bass — low music
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bound — obliged
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. capital — a city
  11. bound — certain
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bound — tied together
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cue — for pool
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bowl — a dish

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