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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: plane · march · root · kid · firm · court · ball · toast

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. root — the cause
  4. court — of a king
  5. root — of a plant
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. ball — a great time
  8. court — for sport
  9. firm — steady
  10. ball — a dance
  11. firm — a company
  12. plane — a tool
  13. kid — to tease
  14. root — of a word
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. march — music
  17. firm — decided
  18. march — the month
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. march — the month
  24. court — of law

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