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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. court — of law
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. court — for sport
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bear — the animal
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bass — low music
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. toast — bread
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bear — the animal
  19. court — of a king
  20. rash — hasty
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. toast — the most admired

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