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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: date · plane · key · stem · court · bore · sharp · cabinet

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bore — to tire
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. court — of a king
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. key — the most important part
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. key — in music
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bore — to drill
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. cabinet — ministers

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