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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: chair · net · court · suit · safe · last · vault · deal

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. court — of a king
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. last — to go on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. last — finally
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. court — of law
  10. net — after costs
  11. court — for sport
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. net — in sport
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. last — final
  18. chair — a leader
  19. vault — a safe
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. suit — in cards
  23. deal — to handle
  24. chair — to sit on

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