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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. court — of law
  4. can — a tin
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mark — a grade
  10. can — a tin
  11. mark — a trace
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. ball — a great time
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. court — of a king
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. ball — a dance
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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