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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
468
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: temple · scale · court · last · cabinet · board · plane · pitcher

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. court — of a king
  6. plane — a tool
  7. scale — size or range
  8. court — for sport
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. board — a committee
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. last — final
  20. board — to get on
  21. last — finally
  22. court — of law
  23. scale — in music
  24. last — to go on

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