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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. land — ground
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. court — for sport
  11. plane — a tool
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. land — to come down
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pitch — completely
  18. land — a country
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. court — of a king

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