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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 · mine · pit · rash · fan · court · key · nail

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pit — in a race
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. court — of law
  18. rash — hasty
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rash — a series
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pit — a hole

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