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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. object — a thing
  6. court — of a king
  7. rash — hasty
  8. spring — the season
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. spring — a coil
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. spring — of water
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pitch — completely
  19. object — an aim
  20. court — of law
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. rash — a series
  23. snap — to click
  24. court — for sport

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