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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: spell · fine · kick · pit · court · plane · straw · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. kick — in football
  3. spell — magic
  4. plane — a tool
  5. court — of law
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. spell — letters
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pit — in a race
  12. spell — a short time
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pit — a hole
  17. fine — all right
  18. court — of a king
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. chair — a leader
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. court — for sport
  24. straw — a straw man

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