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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 116 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: game · rush · vault · bark · stick · field · court · lie

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. court — for sport
  5. game — a match
  6. bark — to shout
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. field — a subject
  10. court — of a king
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. field — for sport
  14. vault — a safe
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lie — to recline
  18. game — wild animals
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. field — farmland

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