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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 · rash · vault · ground · fan · bulb · arm · press

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. press — newspapers
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ground — a position
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ground — the earth
  8. court — for sport
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. ground — crushed
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rash — a series
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. court — of a king
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rash — hasty

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