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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. key — for a lock
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. key — in music
  8. pop — music
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. key — the most important part
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pop — soda
  22. pitch — completely
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. mine — for digging

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