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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: board · court · vault · scale · racket · press

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. board — a committee
  3. press — to push
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. press — newspapers
  7. court — of law
  8. court — for sport
  9. scale — size or range
  10. vault — a safe
  11. court — of a king
  12. scale — in music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. press — a publisher
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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