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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. kid — child
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. court — for sport
  5. net — in sport
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. key — for a lock
  8. object — an aim
  9. court — of a king
  10. key — the most important part
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. net — after costs
  13. track — a path
  14. kid — to tease
  15. object — to protest
  16. net — for catching
  17. object — a thing
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. court — of law
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. key — in music
  24. plane — in geometry

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