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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. season — in sport
  6. cue — for pool
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. capital — a city
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. season — of the year
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ground — a position
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ground — crushed
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. cue — a hint
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. plane — an aircraft

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