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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. vault — a safe
  3. court — of a king
  4. cap — a hat
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. field — farmland
  9. kick — in football
  10. field — for sport
  11. cap — a lid
  12. court — of law
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. field — a subject
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cap — of ice
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. kick — a thrill

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