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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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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. plane — a tool
  4. last — to go on
  5. court — of a king
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. last — finally
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. court — of law
  14. game — a match
  15. last — final
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wax — to grow
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pass — a permit
  23. court — for sport
  24. pass — to spend time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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