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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 120 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: fall · court · scale · swing · kid · vault · foot · mark

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. mark — a grade
  4. kid — to tease
  5. court — of law
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. fall — to drop
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mark — a trace
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. foot — a measure
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. court — for sport
  20. kid — child
  21. court — of a king
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. swing — in golf

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