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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. degree — temperature
  6. court — for sport
  7. tube — a container
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. can — to be able to
  10. deal — to handle
  11. court — of law
  12. degree — an amount
  13. can — a tin
  14. degree — from a university
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. can — a tin
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. tube — the underground

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