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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: court · bass · leaves · mark · cue · dip · cell · vault

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mark — a grade
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. mark — a trace
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. court — of law
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. court — for sport
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — low music
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cell — in biology
  23. vault — a safe
  24. leaves — to go away

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