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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — to tease
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. suit — in cards
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. firm — steady
  10. cue — a signal
  11. firm — decided
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. plane — a tool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. kid — child
  16. court — of law
  17. suit — clothes
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cue — for pool
  23. firm — a company
  24. suit — to fit

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