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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: press · court · drill · plane · pound · racket · spell · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. court — of a king
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. spell — a short time
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — army training
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. press — a publisher
  17. drill — the tool
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — to push
  20. court — of law
  21. spell — magic
  22. court — for sport
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. spell — letters

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