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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. net — in sport
  3. court — of law
  4. band — a ring
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. court — for sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. march — the month
  12. mark — a trace
  13. net — after costs
  14. march — music
  15. club — for golf
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. court — of a king
  18. march — the month
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. mark — a grade
  21. vault — a safe
  22. band — a music group
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. hide — to keep secret

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