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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. club — a group
  8. scale — in music
  9. club — for dancing
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fall — the season
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. plane — a tool
  20. club — for golf
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. scale — size or range

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