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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: ball · tube · pit · shower · vault · track · spring · court

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. spring — the season
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. shower — rain
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. court — of law
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pit — a hole
  14. track — to keep track
  15. ball — a great time
  16. track — a song
  17. tube — the underground
  18. spring — of water
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. vault — a safe
  21. court — for sport
  22. tube — a container
  23. court — of a king
  24. ball — a dance

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