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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 · dip · bark · wound · vault · jam · game · ruler

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bark — to shout
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wound — an injury
  6. dip — to sink
  7. vault — a safe
  8. court — of a king
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wound — an injury
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. court — for sport
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. game — a match
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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