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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wind — moving air
  3. net — for catching
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. current — happening now
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. current — of water
  10. track — a path
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. current — electric
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wind — moving air
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. court — of law
  21. track — a song
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. mark — a trace

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