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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 120 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. hand — in cards
  3. court — for sport
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. root — of a plant
  8. tube — a container
  9. court — of law
  10. stand — to bear
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. root — the cause
  13. band — a ring
  14. tube — the underground
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. root — of a word
  17. band — a music group
  18. court — of a king
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. stand — on your feet

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