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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. net — after costs
  6. degree — temperature
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bore — to tire
  9. net — in sport
  10. bore — to drill
  11. charge — in control
  12. cue — for pool
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wind — moving air
  15. charge — a price
  16. degree — an amount
  17. net — for catching
  18. wind — moving air
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. court — of law
  21. cue — a hint
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. cue — a signal

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