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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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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: court · suit · snap · press · rule · racket · vault · rest

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. court — of a king
  4. press — newspapers
  5. suit — clothes
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rule — government
  8. rest — what's left
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. snap — to click
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. rule — a law
  16. court — of law
  17. press — to push
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. court — for sport
  22. press — a publisher
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — a safe

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