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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. vault — a safe
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. court — for sport
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. court — of law
  14. lean — thin
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. board — a committee
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. object — an aim
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. suit — to fit
  22. lean — to bend
  23. board — to get on
  24. suit — clothes

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