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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. row — to paddle
  3. net — in sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. march — music
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. net — after costs
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. can — a tin
  11. court — for sport
  12. march — the month
  13. can — a tin
  14. court — of law
  15. march — the month
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. net — for catching
  18. plane — a tool
  19. can — to be able to
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. row — a line

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