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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 124 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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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: bore · toast · can · club · deal · plane · cap · court

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bore — to tire
  4. club — for dancing
  5. cap — a hat
  6. can — a tin
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. cap — a lid
  10. can — a tin
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. can — to be able to
  14. toast — bread
  15. court — of a king
  16. deal — to handle
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. court — for sport
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cap — of ice
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — a group
  23. court — of law
  24. plane — in geometry

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