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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · bore · plane · chip · squash · pop

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pop — to visit
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pop — soda
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pop — music
  9. chip — for betting
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bore — to tire
  13. court — of law
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bore — to drill
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. court — of a king

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