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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mug — to rob
  3. degree — temperature
  4. drill — the tool
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — an amount
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pit — a hole
  11. drill — army training
  12. plane — a tool
  13. court — for sport
  14. mug — a face
  15. track — a song
  16. drill — a practice
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. board — a committee
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mug — a cup
  21. court — of law
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. track — a path
  24. board — to get on

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