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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. fork — in a road
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. court — of a king
  6. bulb — for light
  7. file — a tool
  8. ball — a great time
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. file — a document
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of law
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fork — a garden tool

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