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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 · date · spell · court · ball · snap · charge · track

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. snap — to click
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. track — to keep track
  6. spell — a short time
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. ball — a great time
  12. charge — electricity
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. track — a song
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. charge — in control
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. track — a path
  23. charge — a price
  24. plane — an aircraft

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