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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 116 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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. field — for sport
  3. ball — a dance
  4. field — a subject
  5. court — of a king
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. game — a match
  19. field — farmland
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ball — a great time
  24. game — wild animals

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