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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 116 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. spring — the season
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. band — a ring
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. court — for sport
  9. spring — of water
  10. court — of a king
  11. tube — a container
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. court — of law
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. vault — a safe
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. staff — a stick
  21. spring — a coil
  22. tube — the underground
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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