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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mark — a grade
  5. field — for sport
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. prune — to trim
  8. field — farmland
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. plane — a tool
  11. land — ground
  12. field — a subject
  13. court — of a king
  14. land — to come down
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. court — of law
  18. mark — a trace
  19. prune — to trim
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. court — for sport
  22. land — a country
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. racket — for tennis

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