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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. drill — army training
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. court — of a king
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rash — a series
  9. pit — a hole
  10. court — for sport
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rash — hasty
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pit — in a race
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. court — of law
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. drill — a practice

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