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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. land — ground
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. scale — in music
  6. court — of a king
  7. kick — in football
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stem — to come from
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. court — of law
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. plane — a tool
  17. land — a country
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. court — for sport
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. scale — size or range
  24. land — to come down

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