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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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: squash · court · charge · vault · key · season · fan · perch

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. court — of law
  3. squash — to crush
  4. key — the most important part
  5. charge — in control
  6. key — for a lock
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. key — in music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. vault — a safe
  11. squash — the sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. perch — the fish
  14. charge — electricity
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. charge — a price

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