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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: board · mine · calf · cell · plane · wake · court · jam

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. court — of a king
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. plane — a tool
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. board — to get on
  11. cell — a phone
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. court — of law
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. board — a committee
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. court — for sport
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mine — for digging
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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