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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. dip — to sink
  3. court — of a king
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. plane — a tool
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. court — of law
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. vault — a safe
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. court — for sport
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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