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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. net — in sport
  4. content — happy
  5. pass — a permit
  6. spell — magic
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. net — after costs
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. court — for sport
  15. board — a committee
  16. content — the amount
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — of law
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. net — for catching

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