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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: toast · file · vault · rash · club · court · present · degree

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. club — a group
  3. present — the time now
  4. court — of law
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. degree — from a university
  7. vault — a safe
  8. file — a tool
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. rash — hasty
  11. file — a document
  12. court — for sport
  13. rash — a series
  14. club — for dancing
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. degree — an amount
  17. present — a gift
  18. degree — temperature
  19. present — there
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. club — for golf
  22. toast — bread
  23. file — a line of people
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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