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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. staff — employees
  3. object — a thing
  4. ball — a dance
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bass — the fish
  7. staff — employees
  8. bass — low music
  9. season — in sport
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. plane — a tool
  15. cap — a hat
  16. season — of the year
  17. staff — a stick
  18. object — to protest
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bark — to shout
  21. object — an aim
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. cap — of ice

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