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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. court — of law
  3. cap — of ice
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cap — a hat
  8. current — of water
  9. last — to go on
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. last — final
  13. court — for sport
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. last — finally
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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