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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: vault · arm · key · racket · perch · court · pit · rest

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. court — of law
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. key — the most important part
  10. court — for sport
  11. perch — the fish
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pit — a hole
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. key — in music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. vault — a safe
  18. key — for a lock
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pit — in a race
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rest — a break

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