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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: firm · court · plane · straw · bat · charge · board · wave

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. firm — steady
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. board — a committee
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — in control
  9. plane — a tool
  10. board — to get on
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. court — of law
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. court — for sport
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. charge — electricity
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bat — the 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