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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: vault · bank · club · pitcher · temple · deal · court · prune

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. court — of law
  8. club — a group
  9. deal — to handle
  10. vault — a safe
  11. prune — to trim
  12. club — for golf
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. court — of a king
  15. bank — for money
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bank — of a river
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bank — for money
  23. prune — to trim
  24. temple — a place of worship

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