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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: foot · wake · leaves · court · ball · shower · jam · plane

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. shower — rain
  4. plane — a tool
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. ball — a dance
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. ball — a great time
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. foot — a measure
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. jam — a tight spot

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