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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. deal — to handle
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. court — of law
  8. vault — a safe
  9. track — to keep track
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. track — a song
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. track — a path

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