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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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 — for sport
  2. mug — a cup
  3. court — of a king
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. court — of law
  8. swing — to play on
  9. object — a thing
  10. mug — to rob
  11. object — an aim
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mug — a face
  14. object — to protest
  15. swing — music
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  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