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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. track — a song
  4. court — of a king
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. kick — in football
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rule — government
  10. game — wild animals
  11. track — a path
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. rock — music
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rock — a stone
  20. foot — a measure
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. kick — with a leg

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