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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. capital — a city
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. drill — the tool
  16. capital — money
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. court — of law
  21. drill — army training
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. drill — a practice

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