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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. race — the arms race
  3. court — of law
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. board — a committee
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. board — to get on
  12. spring — of water
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. court — of a king
  15. roll — a list
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. court — for sport
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. temple — side of the head

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