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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: ground · root · date · plane · fan · cue · court · bat

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. ground — crushed
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. root — of a word
  11. cue — for pool
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. root — the cause
  16. ground — a position
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. court — of a king
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cue — a hint
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bat — the animal
  24. ground — the earth

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