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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. cue — a hint
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. scale — in music
  11. cue — a signal
  12. shower — rain
  13. cue — for pool
  14. foot — a measure
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. field — a subject
  17. plane — a tool
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. field — farmland
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. field — for sport
  23. shower — to wash
  24. foot — the bottom

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