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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. kick — in football
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. present — there
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. season — of the year
  7. bass — low music
  8. field — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. present — the time now
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. season — in sport
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. field — a subject
  17. court — of law
  18. present — a gift
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. field — farmland
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. court — for sport
  24. bass — the fish

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