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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.

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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: suit · bay · game · court · vault · tube · jam · toast

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. court — of law
  7. tube — a container
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. suit — in cards
  12. court — for sport
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — to fit
  15. tube — the underground
  16. court — of a king
  17. game — a match
  18. vault — a safe
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. toast — bread
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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