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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. tube — a container
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. staff — employees
  8. plane — a tool
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pit — a hole
  12. court — of law
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pit — in a race
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. sharp — clever
  18. net — in sport
  19. staff — employees
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. staff — a stick
  23. court — of a king
  24. net — after costs

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