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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cue — for pool
  3. land — ground
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cue — a signal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. track — a path
  10. bore — to drill
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. track — to keep track
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cue — a hint
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. pop — soda
  24. track — a song

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