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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. court — of a king
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. scale — in music
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. scale — size or range
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. vault — a safe
  11. staff — employees
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mine — for digging
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. staff — a stick
  18. board — a committee
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. staff — employees
  22. craft — boats
  23. board — to get on
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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