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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: calf · chip · roll · mark · court · ball · plane · chair

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. court — of law
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mark — a grade
  8. plane — a tool
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. mark — a trace
  11. ball — a dance
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. roll — a list
  16. chip — to eat
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. court — of a king
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. roll — a cake
  21. court — for sport
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. calf — a young animal

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