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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. court — of a king
  3. mug — to rob
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. net — in sport
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. chest — a box
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. club — a group
  11. plane — a tool
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. court — for sport
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — a face
  17. club — for dancing
  18. court — of law
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. net — for catching
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chest — of your body
  23. club — for golf
  24. chest — of your body

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