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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. land — to come down
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. land — a country
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. land — ground
  9. cue — a signal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chair — a leader
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rock — music
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rash — a series
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. rock — a stone
  23. chair — a professorship
  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