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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. march — music
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. swing — to play on
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. court — for sport
  9. firm — steady
  10. march — the month
  11. firm — a company
  12. swing — in golf
  13. court — of law
  14. march — the month
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. swing — music
  17. firm — decided
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. vault — a safe
  22. ruler — for measuring
  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