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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 · club · game · fan · vault · cabinet · bark · dip

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. club — for dancing
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. court — for sport
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. court — of law
  10. club — for golf
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. court — of a king
  13. game — a match
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bark — to shout
  19. vault — a safe
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. club — a group

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