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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 · object · swing · foot · arm · staff · sharp · court

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. court — of a king
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. staff — a stick
  7. court — for sport
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — music
  10. vault — a safe
  11. swing — in golf
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. court — of law
  14. object — to protest
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. staff — employees
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. staff — employees
  22. foot — a measure
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. object — an aim

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