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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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. tube — a container
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fork — in a road
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. court — of law
  11. tear — to rip
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cue — a signal
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. plane — a tool
  16. court — for sport
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tear — from crying
  21. court — of a king
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. fork — to eat with

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