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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: court · ball · cap · bowl · temple · vault · fan · firm

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. firm — decided
  3. court — of law
  4. court — for sport
  5. firm — steady
  6. cap — a hat
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. court — of a king
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. firm — a company
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. vault — a safe
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. ball — a dance
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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