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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: dip · chair · plane · court · shower · mark · pitch · safe

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. shower — to wash
  6. court — for sport
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mark — a trace
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pitch — completely
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mark — a grade
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. plane — a tool
  19. court — of law
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. court — of a king
  22. shower — rain
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. chair — a leader

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