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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mug — a face
  5. plane — a tool
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. degree — from a university
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. degree — temperature
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. degree — an amount
  14. fine — high quality
  15. court — of a king
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. court — for sport
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mug — to rob
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. row — a line
  22. mug — a cup
  23. court — of law
  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