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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. row — a line
  4. board — a committee
  5. court — of law
  6. board — to get on
  7. court — for sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bank — for money
  13. game — a match
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. plane — a tool
  19. row — to paddle
  20. court — of a king
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pound — a weight
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. nail — for a hammer

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