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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
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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: temple · vault · plane · foot · row · court · ball · shower

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. foot — a measure
  5. plane — a tool
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. ball — a great time
  8. court — for sport
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. row — to paddle
  11. shower — rain
  12. row — a line
  13. shower — to wash
  14. ball — a dance
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. vault — a safe
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. court — of law
  24. ball — a round shape

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