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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. court — of a king
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bat — the animal
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. court — for sport
  8. rash — a series
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. root — of a word
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. net — after costs
  13. vault — a safe
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. root — the cause
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. court — of law
  22. mug — a face
  23. rash — hasty
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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