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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. swing — to play on
  3. court — for sport
  4. rock — music
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. swing — music
  8. court — of law
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. degree — temperature
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. degree — from a university
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. swing — in golf
  20. degree — an amount
  21. rock — a stone
  22. court — of a king
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rush — hurry

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