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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: vault · stem · jam · court · game · key · bear · deal

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. game — wild animals
  2. stem — to come from
  3. court — for sport
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. court — of law
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. court — of a king
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bear — the animal
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bear — the animal
  22. key — for a lock
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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