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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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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: kid · bear · nail · vault · current · calf · key · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. current — happening now
  4. key — for a lock
  5. court — for sport
  6. vault — a safe
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. key — the most important part
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. current — of water
  16. kid — to tease
  17. court — of a king
  18. current — electric
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. kid — child
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. key — in music
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. nail — on a finger

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