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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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. court — of law
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. season — of the year
  4. court — for sport
  5. pass — a permit
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rock — music
  10. ground — a position
  11. perch — the fish
  12. season — in sport
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. plane — a tool
  19. rock — a stone
  20. ground — the earth
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. plane — in geometry
  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