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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 120 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: wake · last · cue · pop · plane · ball · bark · current

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. ball — a dance
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pop — soda
  5. current — happening now
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. plane — a tool
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. cue — for pool
  11. last — finally
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. last — to go on
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bark — to shout
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. cue — a hint
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pop — music
  24. ball — a great time

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