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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 116 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: coach · vault · game · pop · mark · face · court · plane

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pop — music
  3. face — to confront
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. court — for sport
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. court — of law
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. pop — to visit
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mark — a grade
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. face — to point toward
  17. vault — a safe
  18. pop — soda
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mark — a trace
  21. game — wild animals
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. plane — a tool
  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