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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. deal — to handle
  4. vault — a safe
  5. drill — a practice
  6. spell — a short time
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. cue — a hint
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. cue — for pool
  11. spell — magic
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. season — of the year
  14. plane — a tool
  15. drill — the tool
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. spell — letters
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. season — in sport
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. drill — army training
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. cue — a signal
  24. deal — an agreement

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