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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: suit · court · arm · present · bowl · saw · toast · vault

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. suit — to fit
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. saw — the tool
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. suit — in cards
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. present — the time now
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. suit — clothes
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. present — a gift
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. present — there
  18. toast — bread
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. court — for sport
  24. saw — the tool

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