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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. can — to be able to
  4. court — for sport
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. track — a path
  13. spring — a coil
  14. court — of law
  15. track — a song
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. spring — the season
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. court — of a king
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pass — a permit

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