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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: plane · fork · ruler · wax · ball · chest · cue · court

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. ball — a dance
  3. court — of law
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. chest — of your body
  9. ball — a great time
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. wax — to grow
  15. chest — a box
  16. cue — a hint
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fork — in a road
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cue — a signal

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