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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: wind · plane · chair · ball · vault · chip · scale · board

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. scale — size or range
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. board — to get on
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. scale — in music
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ball — a dance
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wind — moving air
  18. board — a committee
  19. wind — moving air
  20. ball — a great time
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chair — a leader

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