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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. land — ground
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. court — of law
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. plane — a tool
  8. foot — a measure
  9. land — a country
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. drill — army training
  13. bear — the animal
  14. tube — a container
  15. court — for sport
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bear — the animal
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mark — a grade
  21. drill — the tool
  22. court — of a king
  23. land — to come down
  24. drill — a practice

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