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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. court — of a king
  7. mug — to rob
  8. court — for sport
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. saw — the tool
  11. vault — a safe
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. object — to protest
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. game — a match
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. court — of law
  19. game — wild animals
  20. object — an aim
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. saw — the tool
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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