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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. court — of law
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. date — the fruit
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. court — of a king
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. root — the cause
  17. vault — a safe
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. court — for sport
  22. fine — all right
  23. game — wild animals
  24. ball — a dance

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