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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 120 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
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: chair · court · foot · plane · fine · tube · key · prune

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. foot — a measure
  3. fine — high quality
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. fine — all right
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chair — a leader
  10. tube — a container
  11. key — the most important part
  12. tube — the underground
  13. key — for a lock
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. court — for sport
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. chair — a professorship

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