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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.

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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.

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: coach · plane · present · spell · court · key · ball · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. spell — a short time
  3. game — a match
  4. present — a gift
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. ball — a dance
  8. court — for sport
  9. game — wild animals
  10. court — of law
  11. spell — magic
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. spell — letters
  15. ball — a great time
  16. plane — a tool
  17. key — the most important part
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. key — in music
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. key — for a lock
  23. court — of a king
  24. plane — an aircraft

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