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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cue — for pool
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cue — a signal
  6. branch — a division
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fork — in a road
  9. capital — money
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. spell — letters
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. capital — a city
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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