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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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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: kid · court · cabinet · foot · vault · ball · stick · bulb

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. court — for sport
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. kid — to tease
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. vault — a safe
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. ball — a great time
  17. kid — child
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. bulb — for light

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