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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. cue — a hint
  4. ground — crushed
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. plane — a tool
  14. rest — a break
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. court — of law
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. court — of a king

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