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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: mark · court · plane · band · mate · racket · hand · jam

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. band — a music group
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. mark — a grade
  7. plane — a tool
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mate — a partner
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hand — in cards
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mate — a friend
  16. court — for sport
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. mate — to breed
  19. band — a ring
  20. hand — help
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. court — of law
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. band — a rubber band

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