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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: plane · tube · ball · toast · pop · craft · cabinet · race

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. tube — the underground
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. toast — bread
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. craft — a skill
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. race — humankind
  14. pop — to visit
  15. race — a contest
  16. plane — a tool
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. race — the arms race
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pop — soda
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. craft — boats

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