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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. vault — a safe
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. pass — a permit
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. court — of law
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. court — of a king
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. spring — a coil

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