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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. suit — to fit
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pit — a hole
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pit — in a race
  9. scale — in music
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. scale — size or range
  13. suit — in cards
  14. vault — a safe
  15. file — a document
  16. press — a publisher
  17. suit — clothes
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. plane — a tool
  21. press — to push
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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