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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: patient · content · plane · court · calf · bowl · toast · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. court — of law
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. content — the amount
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. content — happy
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. toast — bread
  12. court — of a king
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. board — to get on
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. court — for sport
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. plane — a tool
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. calf — a young animal

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