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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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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: content · hide · court · drill · rash · foot · current · plane

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. court — of law
  3. content — the amount
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. foot — a measure
  11. current — of water
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. drill — the tool
  14. court — of a king
  15. drill — a practice
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. plane — a tool
  19. current — happening now
  20. content — happy
  21. current — electric
  22. court — for sport
  23. rash — a series
  24. foot — part of the body

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