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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. vault — a safe
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. field — for sport
  11. court — for sport
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. field — a subject
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. field — farmland
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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