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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. chip — for betting
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cue — for pool
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. cue — a signal
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cue — a hint
  13. prune — to trim
  14. field — a subject
  15. pit — in a race
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. scale — in music
  22. chip — to eat
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pit — a hole

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