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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: foot · vault · tear · court · march · cue · pitcher · trunk

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. march — the month
  5. tear — to rip
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. tear — from crying
  12. march — the month
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. court — for sport
  15. march — music
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cue — a signal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. court — of a king
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — for pool

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