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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. plane — a tool
  3. degree — temperature
  4. content — happy
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. fine — all right
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. degree — from a university
  10. court — of a king
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. degree — an amount
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. craft — boats
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. court — for sport
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. content — the amount

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