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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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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: ball · shower · court · object · bay · vault · dip · row

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. court — for sport
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. vault — a safe
  9. ball — a dance
  10. dip — to sink
  11. court — of law
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. court — of a king
  20. object — to protest
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. object — an aim

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