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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: racket · field · stick · wave · shower · court · trunk · vault

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. court — of law
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. court — for sport
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. court — of a king
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. field — for sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. field — a subject
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. vault — a safe
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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