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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. saw — the tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. vault — a safe
  19. ball — a dance
  20. plane — a tool
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. ball — a great time
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. calf — a young animal

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