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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: land · court · staff · cap · foot · suit · fine · vault

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. suit — in cards
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. land — a country
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. court — of a king
  7. vault — a safe
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cap — a lid
  10. fine — all right
  11. land — ground
  12. court — of law
  13. fine — high quality
  14. suit — to fit
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. court — for sport
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — a measure
  19. staff — employees
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. staff — a stick
  24. land — to come down

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