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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. court — for sport
  3. squash — the sport
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. plane — a tool
  6. stand — to bear
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. saw — the tool
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — of law
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. branch — a division
  14. hand — in cards
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. hand — help
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. squash — to crush
  24. branch — of a bank

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