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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. swing — music
  3. spell — letters
  4. court — for sport
  5. spell — magic
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pop — soda
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pop — to visit
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. land — a country
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. court — of law
  14. land — ground
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. spell — a short time
  17. court — of a king
  18. chair — a leader
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. land — to come down
  22. pop — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. plane — a 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