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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: rash · court · plane · spell · vault · stock · object · jam

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. spell — magic
  3. rash — a series
  4. spell — letters
  5. object — an aim
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. spell — a short time
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stock — shares
  11. object — to protest
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. rash — hasty
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. vault — a safe
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. court — of law
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stock — goods
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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