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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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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: rock · plane · kid · last · fork · court · toast · drill

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. last — to go on
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. kid — to tease
  5. fork — in a road
  6. plane — a tool
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. last — final
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. court — of law
  15. last — finally
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. drill — army training
  18. toast — bread
  19. rock — music
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — the tool
  22. rock — a stone
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. kid — child

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