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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pit — a hole
  3. ball — a dance
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. court — of a king
  8. present — the time now
  9. court — for sport
  10. ball — a great time
  11. court — of law
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. cue — for pool
  14. present — there
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. pit — in a race
  19. swing — music
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. present — a gift
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. swing — to play on

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