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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. court — of law
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. perch — the fish
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. root — the cause
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. root — of a word
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. court — of a king
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. vault — a safe
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mouse — for a computer

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