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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: present · date · ground · content · plane · court · roll · mouse

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. plane — a tool
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. present — there
  7. roll — a cake
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. court — for sport
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. present — a gift
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. content — the amount
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ground — the earth
  18. present — the time now
  19. content — happy
  20. court — of a king
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. roll — a list
  23. court — of law
  24. mouse — the animal

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