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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. court — for sport
  3. land — a country
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. stand — to bear
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wake — a trail
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. firm — a company
  24. stand — on your feet

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