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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bound — obliged
  5. club — for dancing
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. club — a group
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bound — certain
  13. field — farmland
  14. club — for golf
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. field — for sport
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. court — of law
  21. vault — a safe
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. court — of a king

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