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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rest — a break
  4. vault — a safe
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — part of the head
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. club — for dancing
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. court — of law
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pop — soda
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. rest — what's left
  18. face — to point toward
  19. club — a group
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pop — music
  22. court — of a king
  23. club — for golf
  24. pop — to visit

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