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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. tube — the underground
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. tube — a container
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. squash — the sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. prune — to trim
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chair — a leader
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pitch — completely
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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