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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 116 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: vault · bowl · pop · rule · trunk · court · calf · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pop — to visit
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. court — for sport
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rule — a law
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. suit — clothes
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pop — music
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. vault — a safe
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rule — government
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pop — soda

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