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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. court — of law
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. staff — a stick
  10. court — for sport
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. staff — employees
  14. wound — an injury
  15. court — of a king
  16. bound — certain
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. vault — a safe
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. staff — employees
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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