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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: game · court · fine · current · ground · vault · object · bat

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. object — to protest
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. current — of water
  5. ground — crushed
  6. fine — all right
  7. current — electric
  8. bat — the animal
  9. ground — the earth
  10. court — of law
  11. object — a thing
  12. current — happening now
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. ground — a position
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. court — for sport
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. court — of a king
  23. object — an aim
  24. bat — for baseball

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