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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. plane — a tool
  4. court — of law
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. court — for sport
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rule — a law
  9. root — the cause
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rash — a series
  12. net — after costs
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. court — of a king
  17. root — of a word
  18. rule — government
  19. root — of a plant
  20. net — in sport
  21. rash — hasty
  22. net — for catching
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. perch — the fish

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