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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. ground — crushed
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. ground — the earth
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bound — obliged
  10. court — of law
  11. saw — the tool
  12. court — of a king
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bound — tied together
  15. toast — bread
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. court — for sport
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. fork — in a road
  21. vault — a safe
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bound — certain
  24. ground — a position

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