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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. court — of law
  4. pop — music
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. court — for sport
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — steady
  9. mine — for digging
  10. pop — soda
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. firm — decided
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. court — of a king
  23. plane — a tool
  24. row — a quarrel

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