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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. plane — a tool
  4. court — for sport
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. charge — in control
  7. march — music
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fork — in a road
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. toast — bread
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. court — of law
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. march — the month
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. charge — electricity
  21. march — the month
  22. charge — a price
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. sharp — with an edge

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