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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. plane — a tool
  3. band — a ring
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. bank — for money
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a music group
  11. rest — a break
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rest — what's left
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. cell — in biology
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of law
  19. scale — size or range
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bank — for money
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bank — of a river
  24. plane — an aircraft

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