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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: vault · suit · date · lie · key · swing · court · perch

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. court — for sport
  3. key — for a lock
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. court — of law
  7. lie — to recline
  8. key — the most important part
  9. suit — to fit
  10. vault — a safe
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. swing — in golf
  16. key — in music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. court — of a king
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. swing — music

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