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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.

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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 · vault · chip · mark · land · fall · can · face

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. face — part of the head
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fall — the season
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — ground
  8. vault — a safe
  9. can — a tin
  10. court — of a king
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mark — a trace
  13. court — of law
  14. can — to be able to
  15. court — for sport
  16. land — a country
  17. face — to point toward
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. face — to confront
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fall — to drop

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