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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. last — finally
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. court — of a king
  5. shower — rain
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. court — of law
  8. charge — a price
  9. last — final
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. charge — in control
  13. court — for sport
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. last — to go on
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. present — a gift
  19. fork — in a road
  20. present — there
  21. mark — a trace
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mark — a grade
  24. charge — electricity

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