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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. scale — in music
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. tube — a container
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. rush — hurry
  12. tube — the underground
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. scale — size or range
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. stem — to come from
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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