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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. sharp — clever
  3. scale — size or range
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. plane — a tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. suit — to fit
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. saw — the tool
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. court — for sport
  12. fork — in a road
  13. scale — in music
  14. suit — in cards
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. court — of law
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. court — of a king
  24. suit — clothes

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