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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. 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. plane — a tool
  2. spell — a short time
  3. roll — a list
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. court — for sport
  8. cap — a lid
  9. club — for dancing
  10. spell — magic
  11. bound — certain
  12. mark — a trace
  13. court — of a king
  14. club — a group
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bound — obliged
  17. cap — of ice
  18. roll — a cake
  19. club — for golf
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. spell — letters
  22. court — of law
  23. mark — a grade
  24. 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