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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 120 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. court — of a king
  3. vault — a safe
  4. firm — a company
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. court — for sport
  7. pitch — completely
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rule — government
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. firm — steady
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. court — of law
  16. mark — a trace
  17. firm — decided
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mark — a grade

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