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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. game — wild animals
  4. cue — for pool
  5. plane — a tool
  6. land — to come down
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. game — a match
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. cue — a signal
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. land — a country
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. mug — a face
  23. land — ground
  24. cue — a hint

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