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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. net — in sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. court — of a king
  7. net — after costs
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. net — for catching
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. can — to be able to
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mark — a trace
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. court — of law
  22. mark — a grade
  23. can — a tin
  24. mark — to pay attention

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