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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. court — of a king
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fall — to drop
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. race — humankind
  9. court — of law
  10. race — the arms race
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fall — the season
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cell — a phone
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cell — in biology
  22. court — for sport
  23. race — a contest
  24. racket — for tennis

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