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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. court — for sport
  3. spring — of water
  4. swing — in golf
  5. key — for a lock
  6. spell — a short time
  7. key — the most important part
  8. court — of law
  9. spell — magic
  10. firm — steady
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — music
  14. court — of a king
  15. plane — a tool
  16. key — in music
  17. firm — decided
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. spell — letters
  23. firm — a company
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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