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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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468
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: shower · stand · file · racket · vault · court · plane · mug

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mug — a cup
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mug — a face
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. file — a document
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. court — of a king
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. file — a tool
  18. mug — to rob
  19. court — of law
  20. file — a line of people
  21. court — for sport
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. racket — for tennis

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