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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 · cue · march · bat · mate · drill · bass · foot

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. mate — a partner
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. march — the month
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bat — the animal
  8. mate — to breed
  9. march — music
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. plane — a tool
  16. march — the month
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bass — the fish
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. bass — low music
  24. cue — for pool

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