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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: land · jam · nail · march · vault · spell · court · calf

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. court — of a king
  3. spell — magic
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. land — a country
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. court — for sport
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. land — to come down
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. march — music
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. march — the month
  19. spell — letters
  20. vault — a safe
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. court — of law
  23. spell — a short time
  24. land — ground

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