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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. cue — for pool
  3. band — a music group
  4. spring — the season
  5. swing — to play on
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cue — a signal
  8. spring — a coil
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mark — a trace
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. land — a country
  13. swing — music
  14. land — to come down
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. spring — of water
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. swing — in golf
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. land — ground
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. cue — a hint

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