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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 120 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rock — music
  4. squash — the sport
  5. court — for sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. club — for dancing
  9. vault — a safe
  10. club — for golf
  11. hand — help
  12. court — of a king
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. ground — the earth
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. squash — to crush
  18. ground — a position
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. rock — a stone
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. club — a group
  24. rock — to move gently

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