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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: vault · deal · march · firm · court · kid · pop · object

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. court — for sport
  3. kid — child
  4. pop — music
  5. kid — to tease
  6. court — of a king
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. object — to protest
  9. court — of law
  10. march — music
  11. firm — steady
  12. march — the month
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. firm — decided
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pop — to visit
  17. vault — a safe
  18. pop — soda
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. object — a thing
  21. march — the month
  22. object — an aim
  23. firm — a company
  24. deal — to handle

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