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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mate — to breed
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. court — for sport
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rock — music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. field — farmland
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mate — a friend
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. field — for sport
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. field — a subject
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. court — of law
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mate — a partner
  24. court — of a king

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