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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. plane — a tool
  3. firm — steady
  4. court — of a king
  5. fine — all right
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fine — high quality
  10. firm — decided
  11. field — for sport
  12. firm — a company
  13. chest — a box
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. field — a subject
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. field — farmland
  22. court — for sport
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. plane — an aircraft

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