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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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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: ball · pitch · rash · mate · vault · court · present · rule

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. present — there
  3. rule — government
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rash — a series
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pitch — completely
  9. ball — a great time
  10. court — of a king
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. present — the time now
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rule — a law
  19. court — for sport
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. court — of law
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. present — a gift
  24. mate — a friend

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