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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · mark · court · cue · bass · plane · last · mate

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mate — a partner
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bass — the fish
  7. plane — a tool
  8. last — to go on
  9. court — of law
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. last — final
  14. cue — for pool
  15. court — of a king
  16. mate — a friend
  17. last — finally
  18. mark — a grade
  19. cue — a hint
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bass — low music
  22. court — for sport
  23. cue — a signal
  24. mate — to breed

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