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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. march — the month
  4. ground — crushed
  5. march — music
  6. cue — for pool
  7. ground — a position
  8. cue — a hint
  9. ground — the earth
  10. clip — for paper
  11. press — a publisher
  12. court — of a king
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. clip — to cut
  15. plane — a tool
  16. press — newspapers
  17. cue — a signal
  18. clip — a video
  19. court — of law
  20. scale — in music
  21. court — for sport
  22. press — to push
  23. scale — size or range
  24. march — the month

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