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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mug — to rob
  3. plane — a tool
  4. roll — a cake
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. track — a path
  8. hand — in cards
  9. board — to get on
  10. mug — a face
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. court — for sport
  14. mug — a cup
  15. hand — help
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. track — to keep track
  20. roll — a list
  21. track — a song
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. court — of a king

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