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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 116 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. root — of a plant
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. court — of law
  10. drill — army training
  11. rock — music
  12. root — of a word
  13. net — after costs
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bound — certain
  16. drill — a practice
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bound — tied together
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bound — obliged
  23. root — the cause
  24. rock — to move gently

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