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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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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: press · pop · vault · court · calf · ball · mark · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. vault — a safe
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. court — of a king
  7. mark — a grade
  8. press — to push
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mark — a trace
  14. board — a committee
  15. ball — a dance
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pop — to visit
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. ball — a great time

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