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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. band — a music group
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. court — for sport
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. vault — a safe
  7. last — to go on
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. last — finally
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. court — of a king
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. band — a ring
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. last — final
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. spring — a coil
  24. court — of 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