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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. net — for catching
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. court — for sport
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. court — of law
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. net — in sport
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. court — of a king
  11. ground — crushed
  12. net — after costs
  13. plane — a tool
  14. wax — to grow
  15. ground — a position
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry

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