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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. can — a tin
  3. court — of a king
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. can — a tin
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. suit — clothes
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mark — a trace
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. vault — a safe
  19. court — of law
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cue — a signal

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