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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.

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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: court · pound · chair · vault · perch · pass · race · foot

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. court — for sport
  4. race — a contest
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. foot — a measure
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. vault — a safe
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. chair — a leader
  18. court — of a king
  19. perch — the fish
  20. court — of law
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pass — a permit

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