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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 · calf · board · fine · patient · pop · court · jam

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. board — to get on
  3. vault — a safe
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. board — a committee
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pop — soda
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. fine — high quality
  22. court — for sport
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. jam — a tight spot

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