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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: season · rash · field · row · calf · court · pass · vault

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rash — hasty
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. season — of the year
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. field — for sport
  12. rash — a series
  13. row — to paddle
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. season — in sport
  19. pass — a permit
  20. field — a subject
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. field — farmland
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. row — a line

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