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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. pit — in a race
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. scale — size or range
  5. court — for sport
  6. spell — letters
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. vault — a safe
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. pit — a hole
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. court — of law
  17. court — of a king
  18. scale — in music
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stem — to come from
  23. craft — boats
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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