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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: pass · present · kick · court · stick · vault · fan · face

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. vault — a safe
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. face — to confront
  6. pass — a permit
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. face — to point toward
  9. court — of a king
  10. kick — in football
  11. court — of law
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. present — there
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. present — the time now
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. face — part of the head
  23. present — a gift
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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