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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: key · net · court · season · vault · kick · stock · hide

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. vault — a safe
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. key — the most important part
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. season — in sport
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. key — for a lock
  13. net — after costs
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. season — of the year
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. court — of law
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. court — of a king
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. kick — in football
  24. key — in music

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