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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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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: vault · foot · cap · land · court · cell · ruler · club

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. land — a country
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. club — a group
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cell — a phone
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — for golf
  13. land — to come down
  14. court — for sport
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cell — in biology
  19. land — ground
  20. cap — a hat
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. court — of a king
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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