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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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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: rash · pop · jam · dip · ground · vault · bear · court

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pop — soda
  3. court — of a king
  4. ground — a position
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bear — the animal
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. court — for sport
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. dip — to sink
  16. court — of law
  17. rash — a series
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. ground — crushed
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pop — music

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