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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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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: pitcher · mouse · jam · bass · wound · vault · ball · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. court — of law
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. court — for sport
  17. wound — an injury
  18. vault — a safe
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bass — low music
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. mouse — the animal

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