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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · plane · spell · court · saw · rock · racket · deal

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. deal — to handle
  5. spell — a short time
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. court — of law
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. spell — magic
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rock — music
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. spell — letters
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. plane — a tool

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