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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. court — of law
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. snap — to click
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. court — of a king
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. board — to get on
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bear — the animal
  21. net — for catching
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. board — a committee

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