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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. plane — a tool
  3. court — of a king
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. court — of law
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — low music
  8. band — a ring
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bank — for money
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mate — a friend
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. court — for sport
  18. band — a music group
  19. mate — a partner
  20. drill — the tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. drill — a practice
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mate — to breed

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