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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. firm — a company
  3. court — of a king
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. firm — decided
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. court — of law
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bore — to tire
  14. vault — a safe
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. row — to paddle
  17. court — for sport
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. row — a line
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. firm — steady
  22. bore — to drill
  23. key — in music
  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