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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: club · board · patient · perch · vault · chair · plane · dip

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. perch — the fish
  3. club — for dancing
  4. board — to get on
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. club — a group
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. club — for golf
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. board — a committee
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. chair — a leader
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. vault — a safe

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