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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. prune — to trim
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. board — a committee
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. prune — to trim
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — to get on
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. staff — employees

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