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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: vault · nail · object · court · game · racket · bound · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. game — wild animals
  8. court — of law
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. court — of a king
  12. object — a thing
  13. swing — music
  14. bound — tied together
  15. court — for sport
  16. object — to protest
  17. swing — in golf
  18. object — an aim
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. vault — a safe
  21. game — a match
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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