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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. court — of a king
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. drill — a practice
  5. vault — a safe
  6. content — the amount
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. court — for sport
  10. drill — army training
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. current — electric
  13. content — happy
  14. drill — the tool
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. current — happening now
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. current — of water
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. branch — a division
  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