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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. key — for a lock
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. prune — to trim
  8. key — the most important part
  9. court — for sport
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — a safe
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. key — in music
  18. prune — the fruit

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