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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: court · craft · coach · vault · game · safe · rush · branch

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. court — of a king
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. vault — a safe
  8. court — for sport
  9. craft — a skill
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. branch — a division
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. craft — boats
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rush — hurry
  19. game — a match
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. court — of law
  24. branch — of a bank

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