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

Word bank: tear · vault · bank · bowl · court · pop

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. tear — from crying
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. court — of law
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bank — for money
  10. tear — to rip
  11. vault — a safe
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bank — for money
  17. court — of a king
  18. bank — of a river

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