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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: cell · temple · season · court · roll · vault · club · bay

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. season — in sport
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. vault — a safe
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. club — a group
  7. court — for sport
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. club — for golf
  13. court — of a king
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. court — of law
  16. club — for dancing
  17. season — of the year
  18. cell — in biology
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. roll — a cake
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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