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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. court — of a king
  2. plane — a tool
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pound — a weight
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. current — happening now
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chair — a leader
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. court — of law
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wake — a trail
  15. current — of water
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ground — a position
  21. court — for sport
  22. current — electric
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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