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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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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: vault · wake · pit · cap · toast · mine · court · safe

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mine — for digging
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. court — for sport
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pit — in a race

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