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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: fan · cabinet · land · ball · court · plane · fork · rock

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. court — for sport
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. ball — a dance
  8. court — of law
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. land — to come down
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. court — of a king
  17. land — a country
  18. rock — music
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. land — ground

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