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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: object · kid · vault · cabinet · court · bear · track · rest

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. court — of law
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rest — what's left
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. court — for sport
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rest — what's left
  15. vault — a safe
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bear — the animal
  18. kid — child
  19. rest — a break
  20. kid — to tease
  21. track — a path
  22. court — of a king
  23. bear — the animal
  24. object — to protest

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