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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cue — for pool
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rock — music
  6. roll — a list
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cue — a hint
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cue — a signal
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pop — music
  14. date — the fruit
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. roll — a cake
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. roll — on a roll

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