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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bound — tied together
  6. court — of a king
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. spell — a short time
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. court — for sport
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bound — certain
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. court — of law
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. spell — letters
  17. bark — to shout
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. game — wild animals
  20. mine — for digging
  21. game — a match
  22. spell — magic
  23. bound — obliged
  24. nail — on a finger

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