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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 120 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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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 · plane · mark · pitch · court · cue · craft · pitcher

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. board — to get on
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. board — a committee
  6. court — of law
  7. cue — a hint
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cue — a signal
  10. court — for sport
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. craft — a skill
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitch — completely
  23. cue — for pool
  24. court — of a king

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