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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: foot · vault · saw · pound · key · bulb · court · wound

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. key — for a lock
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. vault — a safe
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wound — an injury
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. court — for sport
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bulb — for light
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. key — in music
  24. bulb — for light

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