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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. swing — to play on
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. court — of a king
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. snap — to click
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ground — a position
  12. court — of law
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. court — for sport
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. swing — in golf
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. net — for catching
  22. tube — a container
  23. swing — music
  24. ground — crushed

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