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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. court — of a king
  3. chip — to eat
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. court — of law
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. court — for sport
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cold — an illness
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bore — to drill
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. net — for catching
  17. chip — for betting
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bore — to tire
  21. cold — not warm
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. chip — in a computer

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