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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.

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: firm · fork · arm · plane · court · board · wake · rush

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rush — hurry
  5. firm — a company
  6. board — a committee
  7. firm — steady
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. court — of law
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fork — in a road
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — to get on
  18. court — for sport
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. court — of a king
  22. firm — decided
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wake — a trail

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