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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. plane — a tool
  4. squash — the sport
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. perch — the fish
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. ball — a great time
  14. present — there
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. squash — to crush
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. present — a gift
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. present — the time now
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. perch — for a bird

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