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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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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: bore · temple · pitch · foot · face · vault · plane · court

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. court — of a king
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. court — for sport
  11. face — to point toward
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bore — to tire
  14. face — to confront
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. court — of law
  18. plane — a tool
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. face — part of the head
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pitch — completely
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bore — to drill

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