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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: field · court · rush · rash · vault · cue · march · fine

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. field — for sport
  5. march — the month
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. field — farmland
  11. march — music
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fine — all right
  15. cue — a signal
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — a safe
  18. field — a subject
  19. march — the month
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. fine — high quality

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