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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. saw — the tool
  8. court — of a king
  9. bear — the animal
  10. court — for sport
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rest — a break
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. suit — to fit
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. suit — in cards
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rest — what's left

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