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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · court · bulb · mine · racket · vault

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of law
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. vault — a safe
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. court — of a king
  12. bulb — for light
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mine — an explosive

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