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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 120 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. snap — to click
  3. court — for sport
  4. mark — a grade
  5. hand — help
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. court — of a king
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. court — of law
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. hand — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rock — a stone
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mark — a trace
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. rock — music
  24. tube — in a tire

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