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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. court — of a king
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. court — for sport
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. court — of law
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rule — government
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rule — a law

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