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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: court · foot · cue · board · chest · scale · squash · vault

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. chest — of your body
  3. court — of a king
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. squash — to crush
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. squash — the sport
  9. scale — in music
  10. chest — a box
  11. court — for sport
  12. scale — size or range
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. board — to get on
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. board — a committee
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. foot — a measure
  23. court — of law
  24. cue — for pool

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