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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: march · pop · ball · fall · plane · kick · current · toast

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pop — music
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. current — of water
  7. march — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fall — to drop
  15. current — happening now
  16. fall — to drop
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. fall — the season
  19. toast — bread
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pop — to visit
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. current — electric

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