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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. chest — a box
  4. row — to paddle
  5. ball — a great time
  6. band — a music group
  7. pit — a hole
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. row — a line
  12. chest — of your body
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. chest — of your body
  15. band — a ring
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. ball — a dance
  19. board — a committee
  20. plane — a tool
  21. scale — size or range
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pit — in a race
  24. board — to get on

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