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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. ground — crushed
  4. dip — to sink
  5. court — for sport
  6. ground — the earth
  7. can — to be able to
  8. snap — to click
  9. ball — a great time
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. court — of a king
  12. ground — a position
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. court — of law
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. can — a tin
  22. vault — a safe
  23. can — a tin
  24. ball — a dance

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