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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. last — final
  10. mug — a face
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. toast — bread
  13. last — finally
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. court — of law
  16. court — of a king
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mug — to rob
  19. last — to go on
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. mug — a cup
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stem — to come from

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