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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: racket · cabinet · wind · court · drill · rest · mate · vault

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rest — what's left
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. drill — a practice
  6. wind — moving air
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. court — of a king
  9. drill — the tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. drill — army training
  12. rest — a break
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. vault — a safe
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. wind — to turn a key

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