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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. court — for sport
  4. track — a song
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. court — of a king
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. court — of law
  19. spring — a coil
  20. track — a path
  21. vault — a safe
  22. spring — the season
  23. branch — a division
  24. spring — of water

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