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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bound — tied together
  3. field — a subject
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. plane — a tool
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bound — certain
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. field — for sport
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. band — a music group
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bound — obliged
  19. cue — for pool
  20. band — a ring
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cue — a signal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. field — farmland

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