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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: chest · bulb · rule · vault · court · rock · ball · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ball — a dance
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mine — for digging
  12. court — for sport
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rock — a stone
  15. chest — a box
  16. rock — music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. court — of law
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bulb — for light
  23. court — of a king
  24. rule — to rule out

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