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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. court — of law
  3. last — to go on
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pitch — completely
  6. court — of a king
  7. kid — child
  8. bear — the animal
  9. court — for sport
  10. suit — clothes
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. kid — to tease
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bear — the animal
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. last — final
  18. suit — in cards
  19. drill — a practice
  20. last — finally
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. suit — to fit
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — the tool

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