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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
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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: wound · mouse · vault · court · track · racket · roll · pop

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of law
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pop — to visit
  5. vault — a safe
  6. track — to keep track
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. track — a path
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pop — music
  14. roll — a list
  15. pop — soda
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. track — a song
  20. court — of a king
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. roll — a cake

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