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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bank — for money
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pop — soda
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. court — of law
  7. court — of a king
  8. board — a committee
  9. court — for sport
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — music
  16. rock — music
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bank — for money
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. row — to paddle
  21. plane — a tool
  22. row — a line
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rock — to move gently

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