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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: bulb · chair · court · stick · pound · vault · fan · safe

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. court — of a king
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pound — a weight
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bulb — for light
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. court — of law
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. chair — a leader

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