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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. file — a tool
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. court — for sport
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. file — a line of people
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — a safe
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. file — a document
  23. stock — shares
  24. prune — to trim

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