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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. season — of the year
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. court — for sport
  9. current — electric
  10. land — ground
  11. stand — to bear
  12. current — of water
  13. season — in sport
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. court — of law
  16. land — to come down
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. vault — a safe
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. land — a country
  22. current — happening now
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pitch — a sports field

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