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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. court — of law
  3. mug — a cup
  4. plane — a tool
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bass — the fish
  8. mug — to rob
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. court — of a king
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. mug — a face
  15. court — for sport
  16. spring — of water
  17. bass — low music
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. spring — a coil
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. racket — a loud noise

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