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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cap · kick · season · vault · face · court · fan · board

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. court — of a king
  3. vault — a safe
  4. season — of the year
  5. board — to get on
  6. court — for sport
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. face — to point toward
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. court — of law
  12. face — part of the head
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. cap — of ice
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. board — a committee
  18. cap — a hat
  19. face — to confront
  20. season — in sport
  21. cap — a lid
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. kick — with a leg

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