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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 120 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. ball — a dance
  4. cap — of ice
  5. ball — a great time
  6. swing — to play on
  7. ground — the earth
  8. swing — music
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cue — a signal
  12. swing — in golf
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cap — a hat
  19. ground — a position
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. ground — crushed
  24. plane — a tool

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