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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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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: temple · court · suit · vault · cell · ball · coach · wax

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. court — of law
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cell — a phone
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. court — for sport
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. court — of a king
  17. cell — in biology
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. ball — a great time
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. vault — a safe
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wax — to grow

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