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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. court — of law
  4. rock — a stone
  5. can — a tin
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. game — wild animals
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. can — a tin
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. vault — a safe
  21. game — a match
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rock — music
  24. can — to be able to

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