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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. court — of a king
  3. root — of a word
  4. court — for sport
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. court — of law
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pit — in a race
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rash — a series
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. root — the cause
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pit — a hole
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rash — hasty
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. root — of a plant
  24. vault — a safe

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