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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. field — farmland
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. court — of a king
  5. spring — of water
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. spring — the season
  10. land — ground
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. court — for sport
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. vault — a safe
  18. field — for sport
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rush — hurry
  21. land — to come down
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. field — a subject
  24. land — a country

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