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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. court — of a king
  4. can — a tin
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rash — a series
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. ball — a dance
  14. court — of law
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. season — in sport
  18. can — a tin
  19. vault — a safe
  20. court — for sport
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. season — of the year

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