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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. object — to protest
  3. bear — the animal
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. object — a thing
  20. kick — in football
  21. prune — to trim
  22. object — an aim
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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