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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. band — a ring
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. court — of law
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a music group
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. net — for catching
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. net — after costs
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. net — in sport
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. date — the fruit

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