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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. track — a path
  4. bear — the animal
  5. vault — a safe
  6. court — of law
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. track — to keep track
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wake — a trail
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bear — the animal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. drill — a practice
  18. sharp — clever
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. track — a song
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. court — of a king
  24. wake — before a funeral

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