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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. court — for sport
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. snap — to click
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. chair — a leader
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. plane — a tool
  12. row — to paddle
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. court — of law
  17. court — of a king
  18. toast — bread
  19. ball — a great time
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. ball — a dance

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