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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. present — the time now
  5. bank — of a river
  6. land — ground
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bank — for money
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitch — completely
  15. craft — boats
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. court — of a king
  19. land — a country
  20. court — for sport
  21. land — to come down
  22. present — there
  23. court — of law
  24. present — a gift

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