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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · season · bore · safe · craft · court · vault · game

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. ball — a great time
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. craft — boats
  9. ball — a dance
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bore — to tire
  12. game — wild animals
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. season — in sport
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. season — of the year
  20. bore — to drill
  21. court — of a king
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. craft — a skill
  24. game — a match

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