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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of a king
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mark — a trace
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. swing — music
  12. bore — to drill
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. key — in music
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. swing — in golf
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mark — a grade
  24. court — of law

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