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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 120 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. plane — a tool
  3. game — a match
  4. snap — to click
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. court — for sport
  7. game — wild animals
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rock — a stone
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. court — of law
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bore — to drill
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rock — music

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