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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 120 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. court — for sport
  5. rest — what's left
  6. plane — a tool
  7. court — of a king
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. board — a committee
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. game — wild animals
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stem — to come from
  17. spell — letters
  18. board — to get on
  19. kid — child
  20. rest — a break
  21. kid — to tease
  22. court — of law
  23. spell — magic
  24. game — a match

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