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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. roll — a cake
  4. charge — in control
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. court — of a king
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. fork — in a road
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. court — for sport
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. charge — a price
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. charge — electricity
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. court — of law
  24. calf — of the leg

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