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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. drill — army training
  5. ball — a great time
  6. court — for sport
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. drill — the tool
  9. ball — a dance
  10. court — of a king
  11. stock — goods
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. drill — a practice
  16. stock — shares
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. snap — to click
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. court — of law
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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