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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 120 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: court · cue · present · drill · spring · ruler · season · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. spring — the season
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spring — a coil
  5. present — a gift
  6. cue — a hint
  7. court — of a king
  8. present — there
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. drill — army training
  11. vault — a safe
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. drill — the tool
  14. court — of law
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. court — for sport
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. spring — of water
  20. season — in sport
  21. present — the time now
  22. season — of the year
  23. drill — a practice
  24. ruler — a monarch

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