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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. game — a match
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. court — for sport
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. key — in music
  14. court — of law
  15. key — the most important part
  16. court — of a king
  17. key — for a lock
  18. safe — a strongbox

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