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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. march — the month
  4. track — a path
  5. pop — music
  6. cue — for pool
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. march — the month
  13. track — a song
  14. cue — a signal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bass — low music
  17. march — music
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. vault — a safe

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