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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: net · vault · chest · mouse · court · pop · chair · mate

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pop — soda
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pop — to visit
  5. court — of law
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mate — a partner
  8. net — in sport
  9. chest — of your body
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. net — for catching
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mate — a friend
  15. chest — a box
  16. net — after costs
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pop — music
  20. chair — a leader
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of a king

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