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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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. cue — a hint
  5. net — for catching
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. net — after costs
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. net — in sport
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. last — finally
  18. cue — a signal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. last — to go on
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — size or range

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