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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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. rock — to move gently
  4. suit — in cards
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. vault — a safe
  8. wound — an injury
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. court — of law
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. court — for sport
  13. suit — clothes
  14. lean — thin
  15. can — a tin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. can — to be able to
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wound — an injury
  22. can — a tin
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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