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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. race — a contest
  3. court — for sport
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mug — a cup
  8. last — final
  9. court — of a king
  10. last — finally
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. last — to go on
  15. race — humankind
  16. mug — a face
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. race — the arms race
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mug — to rob
  21. plane — a tool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wound — an injury

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