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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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 · vault · bark · court · ground · fan · ball · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ball — a great time
  8. court — for sport
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. ground — a position
  14. court — of law
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. vault — a safe
  22. court — of a king
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bay — a horse colour

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