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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — steady
  4. swing — music
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. staff — a stick
  8. net — in sport
  9. staff — employees
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. court — of law
  12. march — the month
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. swing — in golf
  16. net — after costs
  17. staff — employees
  18. court — of a king
  19. swing — to play on
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. firm — decided
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. net — for catching

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