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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 120 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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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: plane · rule · club · foot · chair · vault · sharp · pass

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. club — for golf
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. club — a group
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. foot — a measure
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. chair — a leader
  13. rule — government
  14. club — for dancing
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pass — a permit
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a professorship

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