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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 116 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. ball — a great time
  6. scale — in music
  7. field — for sport
  8. can — a tin
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. can — a tin
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. ball — a dance
  16. field — a subject
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cue — a signal
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. can — to be able to
  23. plane — a tool
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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