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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. saw — the tool
  4. plane — a tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. capital — a city
  7. court — of a king
  8. ball — a dance
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. court — for sport
  14. saw — the tool
  15. capital — money
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mug — to rob
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. ball — a great time
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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