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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: court · ruler · bowl · bound · plane · vault · branch · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. court — for sport
  4. branch — a division
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. court — of law
  9. bound — obliged
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. suit — to fit
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. court — of a king
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bound — tied together
  18. vault — a safe
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bound — certain
  23. plane — a tool
  24. ruler — for measuring

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