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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · key · vault · mine · staff · game · stand · arm

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. staff — a stick
  4. mine — for digging
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. key — in music
  8. game — a match
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. game — wild animals
  14. court — of law
  15. vault — a safe
  16. staff — employees
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. court — for sport
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. staff — employees
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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