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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 120 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
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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: key · wound · court · plane · prune · fine · bowl · fall

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. court — of law
  3. fall — the season
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. court — of a king
  11. prune — to trim
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wound — an injury
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. fall — to drop
  20. court — for sport
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. fine — all right
  24. bowl — a dish

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