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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: sharp · bay · can · cold · temple · pound · court · vault

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. court — of a king
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. court — for sport
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. can — a tin
  8. pound — a weight
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cold — an illness
  14. court — of law
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cold — not warm
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. sharp — clever

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