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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. court — of law
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. plane — a tool
  6. clip — to cut
  7. board — to get on
  8. court — of a king
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. clip — a video
  11. chair — a leader
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. fall — the season
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. board — a committee
  22. clip — for paper
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. vault — a safe

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