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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — a safe
  3. kid — child
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. kid — to tease
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. court — of law
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. court — of a king
  14. date — the fruit
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bound — tied together
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bound — certain
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. court — for sport

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