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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: chip · degree · court · pound · plane · lean · club · firm

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. plane — a tool
  3. court — of a king
  4. degree — from a university
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. club — a group
  7. firm — decided
  8. degree — temperature
  9. chip — for betting
  10. degree — an amount
  11. firm — steady
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. court — for sport
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. court — of law
  20. pound — a weight
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. club — for golf
  24. firm — a company

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