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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 116 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. court — of a king
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. club — for golf
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. vault — a safe
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. club — a group
  21. court — for sport
  22. club — for dancing
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chair — a leader

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