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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: hide · vault · court · game · branch · rash · saw · can

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. court — of a king
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. can — a tin
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. court — for sport
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. game — a match
  10. court — of law
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. game — wild animals
  17. can — to be able to
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. saw — the tool
  20. can — a tin
  21. rash — a series
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. branch — a division
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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