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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: firm · press · hand · land · vault · suit · court · pound

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. suit — clothes
  3. land — a country
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. land — to come down
  6. court — of law
  7. land — ground
  8. suit — to fit
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. hand — help
  12. vault — a safe
  13. firm — steady
  14. press — to push
  15. pound — a weight
  16. court — for sport
  17. firm — decided
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. firm — a company
  20. court — of a king
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. suit — in cards
  23. hand — in cards
  24. pound — for dogs

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