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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. suit — to fit
  4. squash — to crush
  5. dip — to sink
  6. squash — the sport
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. court — of law
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. plane — a tool
  13. suit — in cards
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. row — a line
  19. court — for sport
  20. row — to paddle
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. suit — clothes
  23. vault — a safe
  24. squash — the vegetable

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