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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 120 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 · shower · court · object · cabinet · calf · march · cell

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. shower — rain
  6. court — of law
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. vault — a safe
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. court — of a king
  13. object — to protest
  14. shower — to wash
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. march — the month
  19. object — a thing
  20. court — for sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in biology

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