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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. court — of a king
  5. saw — the tool
  6. court — for sport
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pop — music
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. court — of law
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. foot — a measure
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mouse — the animal

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