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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: current · date · cap · foot · court · vault · object · bay

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. vault — a safe
  3. date — the fruit
  4. object — to protest
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. current — electric
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. current — happening now
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. court — for sport
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. current — of water
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. object — an aim
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. court — of a king
  20. foot — a measure
  21. court — of law
  22. cap — a hat
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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