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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. present — a gift
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wake — a trail
  13. present — there
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cue — for pool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. degree — temperature
  20. cue — a signal
  21. degree — an amount
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. present — the time now
  24. fan — to cool the air

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