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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. ground — a position
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rock — music
  8. court — for sport
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. net — in sport
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. net — for catching
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rock — a stone
  23. ground — the earth
  24. net — after costs

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