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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: vault · drill · rest · date · court · ruler · patient · game

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rest — what's left
  3. drill — army training
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. court — for sport
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. court — of law
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. drill — a practice
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rest — a break
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. drill — the tool
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rest — what's left
  20. game — a match
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. game — wild animals
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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