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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. rest — what's left
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. court — for sport
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. vault — a safe
  10. rest — what's left
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. pop — music
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pop — to visit
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rest — a break
  23. pop — soda
  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