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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 116 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 · cap · court · present · rest · suit · wax · bay

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. court — of law
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. cap — a hat
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cap — of ice
  15. court — for sport
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. present — the time now
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. rest — a break

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