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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · fine · ball · mug · tube · clip · vault · ruler

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. court — of law
  3. fine — high quality
  4. court — of a king
  5. vault — a safe
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. tube — the underground
  9. clip — a video
  10. ball — a great time
  11. tube — a container
  12. clip — for paper
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mug — a face
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. fine — all right
  21. clip — to cut
  22. court — for sport
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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