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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. craft — boats
  8. row — a line
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pop — to visit
  11. court — of law
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bore — to tire
  16. craft — a skill
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pop — music
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pop — soda
  24. snap — to click

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