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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 116 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: season · track · rule · vault · court · pitcher · mate · key

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. track — to keep track
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. key — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. court — of law
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rule — a law
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mate — a friend
  16. season — in sport
  17. mate — a partner
  18. court — for sport
  19. track — a path
  20. mate — to breed
  21. rule — government
  22. track — a song
  23. season — of the year
  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