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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: chest · vault · deal · pop · court · bay · club · row

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pop — to visit
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for dancing
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. deal — to handle
  10. vault — a safe
  11. chest — of your body
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. court — for sport
  14. club — for golf
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. court — of a king
  18. chest — a box
  19. pop — soda
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pop — music
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. court — of law

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