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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 116 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: swing · court · hand · present · plane · track · staff · kid

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. track — a path
  3. kid — to tease
  4. staff — employees
  5. present — a gift
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. hand — help
  9. kid — child
  10. present — the time now
  11. court — of a king
  12. track — a song
  13. swing — music
  14. court — for sport
  15. hand — in cards
  16. court — of law
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. swing — to play on
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. present — there
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. swing — in golf
  24. track — to keep track

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