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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 124 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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pitch — completely
  3. court — of a king
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. court — of law
  14. branch — a division
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. patient — a sick person

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