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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: charge · court · track · rash · wave · bowl · vault · cold

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cold — an illness
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. charge — in control
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cold — not warm
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. charge — a price
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. court — of a king
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. track — a song
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. court — for sport
  24. vault — a safe

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